ITA monitoring – identification of new topics for the innovation and technology analysis of the BMBF

  • Project team:

    Decker, Michael (Project leader); Christopher Coenen; Torsten Fleischer; Michael Rader; Michael Reuß; Christine Rösch; Jens Schippl; Nora Weinberger (Project coordination)

  • Funding:

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Project management agency: VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH (Berlin)

  • Start date:

    2008

  • End date:

    2012

  • Project partners:

    Zukünftige Technologien Consulting (ZTC) of VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH (Düsseldorf) (Axel Zweck, Dirk Holtmannspötter, Norbert Malanowski, Waldemar Baron, Matthias Braun, Eva Cebulla, Sabine Korte, Wolfgang Luther)

  • Research group:

    Innovation processes and impacts of technology

Project description

The BMBF innovation and technology analysis (ITA) approach is aimed at providing the different actors in the innovation process with information to support decisions regarding research, technology and innovation. Innovation and technology analyses can contribute to the identification of possible chances and risks, the acknowledgment of potentials and options and the early recognition of possible restraints and supporting factors for innovations.

This identification of strategic topics for the innovation and technology analysis and the elaboration of their respective specific issues were the goals of the research project ITA-Monitoring. To this end, a systematic and continuous monitoring process has been established over the duration of the project that enabled the identification of relevant ITA topics both from the technology and the demand perspective. This process was marked by three selection steps. At first, an intensive literature and desktop research was conducted to search for sources of information that refer to new and relevant technological developments, as well as citations that describe a need for a technological solution. In the first relevance decision this raw data was assessed with respect to different dimensions of evaluation (e.g., technical-scientific, ecological) in which a topic had to display a special relevance to at least one of those dimensions. Then, in a second step, it was examined whether the topics were relevant in regard to the other respective "search path" as well. That means, topics that were identified through the technology development path also had to be adjudged to be relevant in satisfying social demands and vice versa, a potentially satisfying technological solution had to be found for any identified social demand. The next relevance decision was reached in the context of a workshop by experts of TA, which were tasked with the assessment of the topics from the perspective of the ITA, and additional experts, which were to act as so-called "advocates" and represented one of the relevant dimensions. This search process was performed three times - one each year.

Short studies were prepared for the selected topics which comprise not only the transdisciplinary problem description but also recommendations for a problem-adequate, methodical approach for the development of problem solutions. Among others, these were short stories on "electromobility", "smart grids", "sticky information", "non-medical applications of neuroscience", "fresh in the trash", "reduction of food waste as an approach to improve the global food situation", "service robots in care arrangements" and "social conditions of aspirations regarding the technical enhancement of human capabilities". However, these short studies are not innovation and technology analyses, they are only methodical preparatory works (preparatory projects).

Publication on this project:

Decker, M.; Fleischer, T.; Schippl, J.; Weinberger, N.
Zukünftige Themen der Innovations- und Technikanalyse. Methodik und ausgewählte Ergebnisse. Karlsruhe: KIT Scientific Publishing 2012 (KIT Scientific Reports; 7605)
full text

Publications


2014
Book Chapters
Weinberger, N.
Soziale Voraussetzungen von Bestrebungen zu technischem Enhancement menschlicher Fähigkeiten
2014. Zukünftige Themen der Innovations- und Technikanalyse : Lessons learned und ausgewählte Ergebnisse. Hrsg.: M. Decker, 123–198, KIT Scientific Publishing 
Presentations
Decker, M.
Verantwortbare Innovationen - Ein neuer Schwerpunkt in der Europäischen Forschung?
2014. Expertengespräch an der Lomonosov Universität, Moskau, Russland, 19.11.2014 (2014), Moscow, Russia, November 19, 2014 
Decker, M.
Innovation ja - aber bitte verantwortungsbewußt
2014. Symposium “Innovationsoffenheit in Deutschland: von Partnern lernen" (2014), Berlin, Germany, December 4, 2014 
Decker, M.
From technology assessment to responsible research and innovation? Europäische Forschung?
2014. International Conference “Social philosophy of science: Russian prospects” (2014), Moscow, Russia, November 18–19, 2014 
Decker, M.
Ethics and robotics: Towards responsible research and innovation
2014. “Roboethik”: Technikfolgenabschätzung und verantwortungsbewusste Innovation in Japan und Deutschland (2014), Berlin, Germany, December 4, 2014 
Decker, M.
Die Entwicklung der Innovations- und Technikanalyse (ITA)
2014. Konstituierende Sitzung des ITA-Beraterkreises, Berlin, 24. Oktober 2014 
Fleischer, T.
Orte verantwortlicher Innovation - Immersion und Distanz im Zuge entwicklungsbegleitender Forschung in TA und RRI
2014. 6. Konferenz des Netzwerks Technikfolgenabschätzung (NTA) und 14. Technikfolgenabschätzung (TA) Jahreskonferenz des Instituts für Technikfolgen- Abschätzung, Wien, A, 2.-4. Juni 2014 
2013
Presentations
Fleischer, T.; Edelmann, M.; Schippl, J.; Schneider, C.; Rader, M.; Zimmermann, B.
Neue Produktionskonzepte: Der ’Personal Fabricator’
2013. ITA-Forum ’Innovations- und Technikanalyse im Dialog’, Berlin, 26.-27. September 2013 
Posters
Ferrari, A.; Frank, D.; Heil, R.; König, H.; Weinberger, N.
Nutzen und Risiken des Tissue Engineering
2013. ITA-Forum ’Innovations- und Technikanalyse im Dialog’, Berlin, 26.-27. September 2013 
2012
Book Chapters
Hennen, L.; Coenen, C.
Nichtmedizinische Anwendungen der Neurowissenschaften
2012. Zukünftige Themen der Innovations- und Technikanalyse. Hrsg.: M. Decker, 171–221, KIT Scientific Publishing 
Pathmaperuma, D.; Schippl, J.
Intelligente Stromnetze
2012. Zukünftige Themen der Innovations- und Technikanalyse. Hrsg.: M. Decker, 85–120, KIT Scientific Publishing 
Weinberger, N.; Weber, A.; Reisch, S.
"Klebrige Informationen"
2012. Zukünftige Themen der Innovations- und Technikanalyse. Hrsg.: M. Decker, 121–169, KIT Scientific Publishing 
Reports/Preprints
Krings, B.-J.; Böhle, K.; Decker, M.; Nierling, L.; Schneider, C.
ITA-Monitoring “Serviceroboter in Pflegearrangements” - Kurzstudie
2012. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) 
Weinberger, S.; Sahrai, E.; Reisch, N.
Soziale Voraussetzungen von Bestrebungen zu technischem Enhancement menschlicher Fähigkeiten
2012. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) 
2011
Reports/Preprints
Kaiser, O.; Meyer, S.; Schippl, J.
Elektromobilität - ITA-Kurzstudie
2011. ITA-Kurzstudie Düsseldorf : Zukünftige Technologien Consulting der VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH, 2011 (Zukünftige Technologien ; 93) 
Kaiser, O. S.; Meyer, S.; Schippl, J.
ITA-Monitoring “Elektromobilität”: Kurzstudie
2011. VDI Technologiezentrum 
2010
Presentations
Decker, M.
How to identify new themes for TA?
2010. TA-Workshop ’Keeping Pace with TA’, Bruxelles, B, February 26, 2010 

Contact

Prof. Dr. Michael Decker
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS)
P.O. Box 3640
76021 Karlsruhe
Germany

Phone: +49 721 608-23007
E-mail