Type of research

In dialogue with society – an essential aspect of technology assessment.
In dialogue with society – an essential aspect of technology assessment.
Dialog mit der Gesellschaft – ein wesentliches Merkmal der Technikfolgenabschätzung.
Images: Patrick Langer/KIT

Technology impacts do not stop at the boundaries of scientific disciplines. In fact, they can only be comprehensively explored in the systems perspective from a number of different points of view. Therefore, our research is highly interdisciplinary and includes a wide variety of subjects, ranging from philosophy to social sciences, economics, and law to psychology and the natural and engineering sciences. And since technology assessment requires as many perspectives as possible, we often invite society, initiatives, and stakeholders, but also individual citizens to participate in our research.

Our topics do not arise from inherent scientific logic but from a dialogue at eye level with society. Our work is problem-oriented, we listen to the perceptions, wishes, and concerns of numerous societal actors, for example, regarding ecologic problems, new forms of mobility, or the impacts of digitalization on our lives. The orientation toward the goal of sustainable development is decisive for all activities of the institute.

Our research is committed to scientific independence and a claim to excellence. The results contribute to societal debates and serve to advance scientific knowledge – not only in technology assessment itself but also in the disciplines involved, such as systems analysis, social sciences, or ethics.