Dipl.-Geogr. Christina Benighaus
- Scientific staff
- Research group “Sustainable Bioeconomy”
- Room: 316
- Phone: +49 721 608-23225
- christina benighausVpr6∂kit edu
Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (ITAS)
Postfach 3640
76021 Karlsruhe
Current positions
- Senior Researcher and head of section Communication - Information, Dialogue, Participation of DIALOGIK gGmbH Stuttgart
- PhD student at the University of Stuttgart and University of Marburg, former scholarship holder Alliance ENERGY-TRANS of the Helmholtz Association, ZIRIUS, University of Stuttgart, PhD thesis on “Acceptance of deep geothermal energy”
Fields of work
- Planning of alternative conflict resolution and stakeholder engagement
- Risk Governance, Management and Communication of risks of different themes, chemicals, geothermal, energy, nutrition, mining, environment, radiation protection
- Development of dialogue and communication structures
- Facilitation and mediation of public participation and stakeholder processes
Current projects
- Use of geothermal energy for climate-neutral heat supply at KIT (Campus North) – inter- and transdisciplinary co-design of an implementation concept (GECKO)
- NETZlabor (GRIDlab) Hydrogen-Island
- INFACT Innovative, Non-Invasive and Fully Acceptable Exploration Technologies
- NANOtechnology RIsk GOvernance
Professional background
| 1989 - 1997 | Diploma in Geography, Meteorology, Soil Science and Chemistry at the University of Bonn |
| 1997 | Research associate at the University of Halle / Saale |
| 1998 - 1999 | Research associate at the TU Chemnitz, Department of Social and Economic Geography |
| 1999 - 2002 | Consultant at the Institute for Organizational Communication GmbH (IFOK) |
| 2002 - 2003 | Senior researcher at the Center of Technology Assessment in Baden-Württemberg, discourse unit |
| 2004 - 2005 | Senior researcher at the Department of Technological and Environmental Sociology at the University of Stuttgart |
| since 2004 | Senior researcher at DIALOGIK gGmbH Stuttgart |
| 2009 - 2016 | Senior researcher at the Department of Technological and Environmental Sociology at the University of Stuttgart |
| 2016 - 2017 | Visiting researcher at the Geothermal Institute, Faculty of Engineering, University of Auckland, NZ |
| since 2020 | Senior researcher at ITAS |
Selected publications
Benighaus, C.; Bleicher, A. (2019)
Neither risky technology nor renewable electricity: Contested frames in the development of geothermal energy in Germany. Energy Research and Social Science. Elsevier Ltd. Vol 47, pp 46-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.08.022
Porcari, A.; Borsella, E.; Benighaus, C. et al. (2019)
From risk perception to risk governance in nanotechnology: a multi-stakeholder study. J Nanopart Res (2019) 21: 245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-019-4689-9
Meller, C.; Schill, E.; Bremer, J.; Kolditz, O.; Bleicher, A.; Benighaus, C.; Chavot, P.; Gross, M.; Pellizzone, A.; Renn, O.; Schilling, F.; Kohl, T. (2017)
Acceptability of geothermal installations. A geoethical concept for GeoLaB, Geothermic (2017 online). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.07.008
Benighaus, C.; Wachinger, G.; Renn, O. (2016)
Bürgerbeteiligung Konzepte und Lösungswege für die Praxis, Frankfurt a. Main: Metzner, 2016
Schweizer, P. J.; Renn, O.; Köck, W.; Bovet, J.; Benighaus, C.; Scheel, O.; Schröter R. (2014)
Public participation for infrastructure planning in the context of the German “Energiewende”, Utilities Policy (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2014.07.005