How can science reliably support policy makers in times of overlapping crises and transformative technologies? The newly published anthology “Wissenschaftliche Politikberatung in Krisenzeiten” (Scientific policy advice in times of crisis) presents current trends in technology assessment, with a particular focus on global warming and the digital transformation.

It was edited by Karen Kastenhofer of the Institute for Technology Assessment at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Marius Albiez, Pauline Riousset, and Constanze Scherz of ITAS, and Michael Decker of the Technical University of Munich.

Responses to technological leaps and global crises

Global warming is advancing, biodiversity is declining, democracies around the world are under pressure, and disruptions in supply chains are becoming ever more frequent. At the same time, we are experiencing rapid technological leaps, for example in the field of artificial intelligence, that have significant impacts on our social interactions at work and in everyday life.

How can and should technology assessment work effectively and provide scientifically sound advice in the face of urgency, dynamism, and complexity? In this recently published volume, researchers from various TA contexts share their answers. The volume is based on papers presented at the 11th conference of the Network for Technology Assessment (NTA), “Politikberatungskompetenzen heute: TA in Zeiten von Polykrisen und technologischem Wandel” (Policy advisory competencies today: TA in times of polycrisis and technological change), which took place in Berlin in November 2024. (xx.11.2026)

Bibliographic information:

Kastenhofer, Karen; Albiez, Marius; Riousset, Pauline; Scherz, Constanze; Decker, Michael (eds.)
Wissenschaftliche Politikberatung in Krisenzeiten. Beiträge aus der Technikfolgenabschätzung. Nomos, 2026, 492 pp.,
ISBN: 978-3-7560-2154-3
Publisher Information