Dear participants,
Only 60 days to go until the start of INDL 8 “CONTESTING DIGITAL LABOR: RESISTANCE, COUNTER-USES, AND NEW DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH”
It’s going to be a great time in Bologna, and the organizing committee is really looking forward to you coming.
Below, you’ll find updates on the program, keynotes, venues, directions, accommodation, and registration.
Remember: Registration ends on August 20, 2025, so don’t forget!
INDL 8 Program
Here’s some fresh insight on the program we’d like to share with you.
Keynote Speakers
Sarah T. Roberts (UCLA, US) “The Hydra of Artificial Intelligence: Labor Devaluation and Erosion of Human Agency”
Professor at UCLA (Gender Studies, Information Studies, Labor Studies). She is the faculty director and co-founder of the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2), co-director of the Minderoo Initiative on Technology &Power, and a research associate of the Oxford Internet Institute. Her book, Behind the Screen: Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media (Yale University Press, 2019), was released in paperback with a new preface in 2021, and in translation in French (2020) and in Mandarin (2023).
Maria Luz Rodríguez Fernandez (Universidad de la Castilla La Mancha, Spain): “Property rights and monetisation of the personal data of platform workers”
Professor of Labour Law at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (España) and leads the research for the European project GDPoweR-Recovering workers data for the negotiate and monitor collectivive agreements in the platform economy. She has worked for the International Labour Organisation as a Senior Specialist in Labour Market Institutions and has prepared the global report ‘Decent work in the platform economy’ for this organisation. She is the author of over 200 publications, the latest of which is her book Labor Law and Decent Work in the Platform Economy (Routledge 2025). She is considered one of the leading experts in research on the impact of technology on work and social protection, particularly in relation to workers’ digital rights and work in the platform economy.
Sandro Mezzadra (University of Bologna): “Beyond resistance.Digital Labor, Social Cooperation and Infrastructural Struggles”
Professor of Political Theory, Università di Bologna, Department of Arts, Italy. Among his books: Border as Method, or, the Multiplication of Labor (withBrett Neilson, 2013), The Politics of Operations.Excavating Contemporary Capitalism (with Brett Neilson, 2019), Bolivia beyond the Impasse (with Michael Hardt, 2023), The Rest and the West. Capital and Power in a Multipolar World (with Brett Neilson, 2024).
Panelists
On the second day, @Dama Tecnopolo will also host an Emergency and Legacy Unionization of Digital Workers, featuring global activists.
Joan Kinyua (Data Labelers Association)
President of the Data Labeler Association, Joan Kinyua is a digital rights activist focusing on empowering individuals and communities by ensuring their voices are heard in conversations about AI policies, digital labor, and the future of work.
Felipe Corredor Álvarez (Riders x Derechos)
Felipe Corredor Álvarez is a former Deliveroo rider in Barcelona, he co-founded and serves as spokesperson for the union activism platform Riders x Derechos, working hand in hand with unions denouncing the dangers of uberization and pushing for improvements in labor regulation. He is also part of the Observatory of Work, Algorithm and Society (TAS), which analyzes the impact of algorithmic management on labor rights, pushing for lawsuits and regularization of workers. He holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and lectures at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
Conference Venues
Santa Cristina “della Fondazza” – P.za Giorgio Morandi, 2
Originally a monastery of the Camaldolese nuns, this venue was renovated at the end of the 15th century. Its large quadrangular cloister is richly decorated, and there’s a fresco of the Crucifixion from the school of Lorenzo Costain in the refectory. After its restoration in 2004, it is now part of the University of Bologna. Here we will hold parallel sessions, a plenary session, and coffee breaks in its breathtaking cloister.
Palazzo Hercolani – Strada Maggiore 45
Built at the end of the 18th century by the architect Angelo Venturoli, it has been part of the University of Bologna since 1973. This late-Baroque palace will host some of our plenary sessions.
DAMA Tecnopolo Data Manufactury – Via Stalingrado 84/3
Built in 2024 on the venue that was the city’s tobacco manufacture, it represent one of the main international hub for Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. The second day of our conference will be here. It’s not every day you step inside a normally off-limits data center—let alone host a meeting of researchers, workers, and union leaders there.
Special Event
City Tour “Bologna and its Social Movements”
INDL 8 will also offer you the opportunity to take part in an alternative city tour. Bologna is renowned for its rich history of activism and political movements. Thanks to the collaboration with the Archivio Storico dei Movimenti (Historical Archive of Social Movements), we will organize a city tour that will take us through some of Bologna’s most significant sites linked to its countercultural heritage.
Directions
Bologna is well connected with the main transport infrastructures and can be easily reached by plane, train, or car.
By plane
To reach Bologna by airplane, you should fly into the Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ), which is the city’s main international airport. Direct flights are available from many major European cities (e.g. Paris, London, Frankfurt, Madrid). If you’re coming from outside Europe (e.g. the US, Asia), you may need to connect through a major European hub.
The airport is located just 6 km northwest of Bologna city center. It’s a modern, mid-sized airport with all the usual services: baggage claim, rental cars, taxis, etc.
To reach the city center from the airport, you have three options:
1) Marconi Express Monorail: A fast train that takes you from the airport to Bologna Centrale railway station in about 7 minutes (ticket cost 12,80€)
2) Bus Line Q. It runs every 30 minutes, with a flat urban fare of €2.50, and connects you to the hospital and – during arly or late hours – Bologna Centrale Railway station
3) By Taxi: Costs around €15–€20, takes 15–20 minutes. There is a Taxi hub just outside the airport, or you can call them by phone (051 4590/051 372727) or using the app (Btaxi, ItTaxi, InTaxi)
By train
Bologna Centrale is one of Italy’s main railway hubs. High-speed trains (Frecciarossa, Italo, EuroCity) arrive frequently from: Rome (~2h), Florence (~40 min), Milan (~1h), Venice (~1h 30 min). You can buy tickets from Trenitalia and Italo, or on-site machines and counters. If you are planning to come by train, please notice that prices will increase overtime, so make sure you book your train ticket in advance.
The railway station is located very close to the city center. If you take Via dell’Indipendenza, you will need 20 minutes to reach Piazza Maggiore, the main square in Bologna. Otherwise, several bus lines stop in front of the station (Piazza Medaglie d’Oro) lead you to almost every part of the city. You can also find a Taxi hub there.
By car
Bologna is centrally located in northern Italy and is well-connected by major highways (autostrade). Tolls are calculated based on distance. Payment options are in Cash, Credit/debit card, Telepass (for faster toll booth access). You can check estimated toll costs on the website of Autostrade
Accomodation
Bologna has only recently become a popular tourist destination. B&Bs and apartments, which are more common than hotels, are therefore the most common accommodations. We recommend booking your stay as soon as possible, as Bologna can get busy, especially in September when many events will crowd the city.
Accommodations in the following neighborhoods are within walking distance of the conference venues:
-
- Santo Stefano
-
- Galvani
-
- University/San Vitale
-
- Quadrilatero
-
- Murri
Here are some nearby hotels:
Hotel San Donato
Hotel Accademia
Hotel Corona d’Oro
Hotel University
Albergo Rossini
B&B online booking services include:
Wonderful Italy (when booking from 8-14 September, use the code”INDL” for 15% off).
Don’t Forget to Register!
INDL 8 is free of charge for participants. However, registration is mandatory. Please click here and follow the instructions to register. You have time until August 20, 2025.
