News 2022

The future can be far away and present at the same time regarding the site selection for a final repository for radioactive waste. The challenges for research and policy are the focus of the new TATuP issue.

In addition to the German Bundestag and the European Parliament, ITAS researchers will also provide policy advice to members of the Austrian Parliament. They partner with the Institute of Technology Assessment in Vienna, which is in charge of the work.

ITAS and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) want to meet the increasing importance of AI in the world of work with human-centered approaches. A joint symposium was held to prepare further collaborations.

The selection of a site for a nuclear waste repository is to take place in a “learning” process. A new anthology sheds light on what exactly this means from a scientific perspective and how to implement this requirement in practice.

On 17 October 2022, members of parliament and researchers met for the international EPTA conference in Berlin. There, they discussed the political and societal handling of disruptions and the role of TA for parliaments.

How can as many people as possible participate in the transformation of the energy system? Researchers at ITAS have spent four years developing participation formats – digitally and on site in Karlsruhe. Now the project has been completed.

The urgently needed transformation toward greater sustainability is not getting off the ground. The required impetus could come from companies, authorities, associations, and other organizations, according to a recent publication with ITAS involvement.

How can we better prepare for the impact of climate and environmental changes on human and animal health? Together with partners worldwide, ITAS participates in developing an early warning system for infection risks associated with climatic changes.

What contribution to the political and social handling of disruptions can technology assessment make? This question is the focus of the conference of the European Parliamentary TA Network (EPTA), which will take place in Berlin on 17 October 2022.

Microalgae produce valuable pigments, omega-3 fatty acids or proteins. Researchers at ITAS have now investigated the potential of algae cultivation in Germany together with partners and in close exchange with agriculture.

To support sustainability transformations in the arts and culture sector, the “real-world lab” format has been transferred to the cultural sector in a cooperation between Freiburg’s Department of Cultural Affairs and the Karlsruhe Transformation Center.

For its extraordinary achievements in the field of real-world lab work, the KIT Presidential Committee now honored the team of “District Future”. This was preceded in October 2021 by the Joachim Reutter Prize for Social Innovation.

20 years ago, Armin Grunwald authored the first German-language introduction to technology assessment. Now the professor of philosophy of technology and head of ITAS has published a completely updated and expanded new edition.

3D printing is seen as a technology with a huge potential for a wide range of applications. What the innovative manufacturing technology exactly does and how it could be used by society is the topic of a new, five-part podcast series.

Researchers who have fled or are endangered by war and conflict can apply for a six months stay at ITAS until 31 August 2022. The call is aimed at people working on the philosophy of engineering, technology assessment or science.

The TAB report on changes in traditional banking and payment systems and changes in its power structure provides an overview of developments in the payment traffic and changes in its power structure. 

Will the lightest element in the periodic table become the heavyweight of the energy transition? In the technik.kontrovers series on Tuesday, 28 June 2022, ITAS researchers will explore the question of whether the hopes associated with hydrogen are justified.

The results of a population-representative survey on this question are the focus of the fifth issue of the TAB-Sensor.

At ITAS, Marcel Weil and Manuel Baumann investigate the environmental balance of storage technologies. For the VDI – The Association of German Engineers, the scientists have now taken part in a survey on the “value” of storage systems in the energy grid.

Fitness wristbands, trackers, or health apps are part of many people’s everyday lives. The individual and social effects of using these devices were discussed by users and experts at the invitation of ITAS.

With Payal Arora, Jeanette Hofmann and Doris Allhutter, three outstanding researchers will speak at the 5th European TA Conference (25-27 July 2022, Karlsruhe). Information on their keynotes and the conference program is now available online.

What would be the impact of taxing greenhouse gas emissions at the global level if coupled with a dividend system? A new study sees great potential in combining the two approaches.

What can AI do and how is it being used today? Which future scenarios are we aiming for and how realistic are they? ITAS researchers and science fiction author Theresa Hannig will discuss this at technik.kontrovers on Wednesday, 4 May 2022.

As part of a dialogue event between scientists from the Rathenau Institute and the TAB with members of the German Bundestag, the EPTA presidency 2022 was handed over from the Netherlands to Germany.

Using the example of a district in Karlsruhe, researchers have investigated to which extent new, digitally supported mobility offers could change mobility behavior, reallocate public space, and improve quality of life.

What does a society that takes responsibility for present and future generations look like? Armin Grunwald and Jürgen Kopfmüller have updated their book publication on the guiding principle of sustainable development with current topics and debates.

Heat, drought and pollutants threaten trees and forests. Scientists at ITAS are therefore researching how forests can become more resilient. They will provide insights into their work at "technik.kontrovers" on 24 February 2022.

The Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) is organizing the 5th European Technology Assessment Conference 2022. We are happy to announce that the registration reopened. Due to the pandemic, the conference has been postponed and will take place from 25 to 27 July 2022 in Karlsruhe.

Healthy urban forests play a key role to counter the impacts of climate change in cities. A new Ph.D. project at ITAS develops strategies for the participation of citizens in transforming those forests into more resilient social-ecological systems. 

The fourth issue of the TAB-Sensor is dedicated to the topic of telemedicine and focuses on population-representative assessments of the use and potential benefits of telemedicine services.

Researchers from Karlsruhe and Arizona are helping marginalized communities around the world to use clean energy sources and increase their resilience to climate change. A collection of local stories drives the exchange.