On the 5th of September, the Digital Navigation (Dig-Nav) project held its kick-off event at Media Evolution in Malmö. The project is led by Dr. Deniz Neriman Duru, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Lund University, who received 8 million SEK (approximately €730,000) in funding from FORTE under the Applied Welfare Research call. Out of 127 applications, Dig-Nav was selected as one of only 15 funded projects.
The interdisciplinary research team includes Dr. Martin Lundqvist, Researcher, Department of Communication, Lund University, Prof. Anna Lundberg, Professor, Sociology of Law Department, Lund University and Dr. Norma Montesino, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Lund University, and Dr. Joseph Trawicki Anderson, Researcher, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg.
Over the next three years, the team will collaborate with public authorities, civil society organisations, libraries, employers, and migrants to explore how digitalisation reshapes access to the Swedish labour market, focusing on the case of Malmö. Rather than viewing digitalisation merely as a barrier, the project investigates both its challenges and opportunities for migrants’ digital inclusion and labour market participation.
The project examines:
- Which services and barriers exist for migrants' digital inclusion and labour market access.
- How migrants digitally navigate across these services and barriers within the Swedish labour market to seek jobs.
- How can a multi-stakeholder collaboration enhance the effectiveness of digital services and labour market access for migrants in Sweden
As public authorities, banks, and social institutions continue to digitalise their services, migrants with temporary permits and precarious work conditions face complex digital, linguistic, and legal landscapes. At the same time, digitalisation opens new pathways for visibility, connection, and innovation in job-seeking and civic participation.
By engaging diverse stakeholders from the outset, the project aims to co-create digital solutions, online resources, and policy recommendations that contribute to more inclusive and effective digital labour market ecosystems in Sweden.
Project Phases
- In Phase 1, we map existing services (e.g. digital apps, job portals, AI tools, skills training) and barriers (digital, linguistic, social, legal) that affect migrants’ access to the labour market, using methods such as digital ethnography, dialogue meetings, and media-go-along interviews.
- In Phase 2, we co-assess the efficiency of using these services and co-create practical tools through dialogue meetings and workshops. Engaging directly with stakeholders ensures that solutions are relevant and feasible.
- In Phase 3, we test these solutions through trials and digital skills training sessions with job-seeking migrants, refining them through follow-up dialogue meetings and workshops.
If you would like to contribute to the project by sharing your experiences of digitalisation and labour market access as a migrant, public servant, or civil society representative/volunteer or employer, you are welcome to contact Deniz Duru at deniz [dot] duru [at] iko [dot] lu [dot] se (deniz[dot]duru[at]iko[dot]lu[dot]se) or Martin Lundqvist at martin [dot] lundqvist [at] iko [dot] lu [dot] se (martin[dot]lundqvist[at]iko[dot]lu[dot]se).
