Research Cluster
Futures Studies and Participation
Those who want to help shape the future must have the ability to communicate their ideas for it. Neither the opinion that everything will continue to develop consistently nor mere wishful thinking are productive. What it takes is foresight for the future.
The futures studies of the IZT aims to deliver a solid basis for medium and long term oriented decisions in political economic and social areas. The safeguard of the probable, the possible or the malleable are determined by the task-specific selection and combination of various scientific processes as well as the societal discourse.
Participation in the understanding of the IZT is thought of as a reflective learning process for relevant decision makers and stakeholders. It leaves the future open, expands the spectrum of possibilities and creates room to evaluate alternative futures.
Projects
© natanaelginting on freepik
Crisis radar - strengthening the resilience of society, politics and the economy through crisis prediction
The corona pandemic shows the vulnerability and susceptibility to crises of complex societies that are highly interdependent globally. Further crises of this magnitude cannot be ruled out in the future. Within the framework of the TA project, it will be investigated how a continuous anticipatory crisis radar would have to be designed and institutionally - also on an international level - anchored in order to ensure early crisis and risk management. more...
2021 - 2023
Deutscher Bundestag / Büro für Technikfolgen-Abschätzung beim Deutschen Bundestag (TAB)
© Ellery Studio
bio:fictions. Co-creative design fictions of bioeconomy
The bioeconomy is a dynamic field of innovation. It is considered to have a high potential for overcoming economic, social, and ecological challenges. So how can we approach the complex issues of the bioeconomy in new, unexpected ways? Through innovative methods such as "design fictions"! The "bio:fictions" project wants to develop these in various workshops in collaboration with Ellery Studio, Wenzel Mehnert and IZT. more...
2021
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
© highwaystarz / Fotolia
Climate-friendly school kitchens in Estonia and Croatia - CLIKIS-Network
Thanks to two new partners, the IZT can now also disseminate its research results on climate-friendly school kitchens in Estonia and Croatia. The aim is to give renewed impulses to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at school kitchens.
more...
2020 - 2022
Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit (BMU)
Examplary decarbonization: Bicycle stands in København-Nordhavn. © Qimby
Global Foresight Study: Keeping the 2° - aim in transport sector
The project members develop long-term political strategies with methods of strategical foresight for converting the transport sector in an environmentally friendly way. In the future, mobility is to take place worldwide without the use of coal, oil and gas - decarbonized - so that global warming remains below 2° Celsius. more...
2019 - 2020
Agora Energiewende
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
© www.siemens.com/press
Guidelines for decent work in the digital world
Digital change calls into question existing achievements in occupational health and safety. The IZT supports the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the process of developing a new mission statement that focuses on humane work in the digital world. more...
2019
Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)
© pixabay
Foresight study – sustainable mobility in China and Germany
This foresight project elaborates scenarios of a potential transformation of the transport sector in China. The insights gained will also provide ideas for the transformation of the German mobility system. more...
2019 - 2020
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Who has access to digitally networked mobility?
Social consequences are largely ignored from the analyses of new mobility services. IZT develops three scenarios for largely ignored justice aspects. more...
2019
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
© XtravaganT/stock.adobe.com
Real-Time-Delphi "Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit"
The IZT implemented the future research method "Real-Time-Delphi" for Prof. Dr. Stephan Rammler and the WWF - in the research project "Digitization and Sustainability". more...
2017
Prof. Dr. Stephan Rammler
© Olivier Le Moal - Fotolia.com
Trend Analysis Resource Policy
The IZT uses methods of futures studies to identify relevant resource-political trends in society. Subsequently, scientists assess these trends according to their effect on the world’s climate and resource consumption. The goal of the project is to suggest appropriate resource and climate policy measures to the Umweltbundesamt. more...
2017 - 2021
Federal Environment Agency (UBA)
© ra2 studio - Fotolia.com
LogMySelf – Discourse with young people about self-measurement
From weight training to menstruation cycles – many young people see measuring and digitally recording personal data and as a common practice. The project "LogMySelf" intends to introduce adolescents to the benefits and risks of "lifelogging" and provide them with new skills in this area. more...
2017 - 2019
Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)
© chombosan - Fotolia.com
Internal crowdsourcing in companies
This research project aims to shape internal crowdsourcing in companies to make it fair for employees. The goal is to create a cross-sector reference model together with the Berlin energy service provider GASAG.
more...
2017 - 2020
Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)
European Social Fund ESF
European Social Fund ESF
© opensource.com
Norms throughout demographic change
The research project will create insight into the value system and development of norms in an ageing society marked by diversity and the use of modern technology. The goal is a well-founded catalogue of criteria for health policies and for those working in healthcare. more...
2017 - 2019
Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)
© mcmurryjulie / pixabay (CC0)
Risk analysis of emergency data management
The electronic health card should contain integrated medical emergency data on a voluntary basis, such as existing diagnoses. The IZT analyses together with a research partner the risks of the planned emergency data management. The new project started in April 2017.
more...
2017
gematik Gesellschaft für Telematikanwendungen der Gesundheitskarte mbH
© IZT
Guidebook for inter- and transdisciplinary research methods
The IZT composed a guidebook that supports the integration of humanities, social and cultural sciences into the research projects of the universities of applied sciences in Vienna.
more...
2016 – 2017
Municipal Department of the city of Vienna
© IZT
Modelling the Greenhouse Gas Effects of Resource Politics
In the project a systemic model will be developed, in order to assess and to make visible the impacts of resource efficiency measures on greenhouse gas emissions. more...
2016-2019
Umweltbundesamt (UBA)
Architektur: Scharabi GbR / Rendering: Render-Manufaktur GbR
Collaborative living
Together with the city of Potsdam the possibilities that new forms of collaborative living offer for city development are researched. more...
2016 - 2019
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Förderprogramm: Sozial-ökologische Forschung (SÖF)
© Dana Smillie/World Bank
(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Middle East and North Africa: potential scenarios 2025 and 2050
The project will outline potential scenarios related to the course of the region in the medium (2025) and long (2040) term. The project will sharpen the European understanding of the region with a view to highlighting the potential strategies and policies that the EU is called upon to adopt in order to make its role in the region more effective. more...
2016 - 2019
European Commission
© kentoh / Fotolia
Health Apps
IZT will perform an innovation analysis on "Health Apps" in line with consortium partnership with The Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag – TAB more...
2016 - 2017
German Bundestag (National Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany) / The Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag
© kentoh / Fotolia
Quantified Self - Interface between Lifestyle and Medicine
The use of devices and applications for self-measurement and self-optimization has become widespread in recent years. This trend to self-measure is called "Quantified Self". The projectexplored this phenomenon from different angles in Switzerland. more...
2016 - 2017
TA-SWISS Zentrum für Technologiefolgen-Abschätzung
© Vangerow GmbH/M. Migliazzi
Evolution2Green: Strategies for a green economy
This project aims for an integrated strategy to transform our economic system into a green economy. Economic growth should be accompanied by ecological sustainability and social justice. more...
2015 - 2018
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Förderprogramm: Sozial-ökologische Forschung (SÖF)
© BASF SE
Megatrends & MINT education
The project identified relevant long-term processes of transformation and their impacts for companies, academic institutions and political stakeholders in the context of MINT (mathematics, information sciences, natural sciences, and technology). more...
2015
Matrix GmbH & Co. KG für zdi - Zukunft durch Innovation
© mmp-stock
What do young people think about cognitive enhancement drugs?
What are the pros and cons of "smart drugs"? Why do young people increasingly use prescription drugs to increase their academic performance? Once again, the IZT leads a project discussing social and ethical questions of the life sciences. more...
2015 - 2016
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
© Amprion
Megatrends in the energy industry
On behalf of the largest German transmission system operator AMPRION the IZT conducted an internal study on megatrends in the energy industry. more...
2014 - 2015
Amprion GmbH
© Creative Commons CC0 / Pixabay
New electronic media and addictive behavior
The IZTconducted a research project on the topic „new electronic media and addictive behavior“. more...
2014 - 2016
German Bundestag (National Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany) / The Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag
© Samantha Craddock/123RF Stockfoto
Berlin‘s sustainability profile
Which projects and initiatives have the potential to shape the image of Berlin’s future sustainability? The aim of this project was to identify these fields of interest and to illustrate them with new practical approaches. more...
2014 - 2016
Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt, Berlin
© CC0 / pixabay
Welfare-mix: Cooperation in case of Dementia
The IZT supported a research project for the cooperation of family members, specialists and volunteers in case of dementia. more...
2014
Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena
© Henkel
Megatrends in Intralogistics
The IZT, together with the Research Community Intralogistics, explored processes of transformation in this sector. The intralogistics sector is specialized in the logistics within companies. The parting from the full capacity model in an era of volatile markets was central to the project. more...
2014
Forschungsgemeinschaft Intralogistik/ Fördertechnik und Logistiksysteme (IFL) e.V.
© Stiftung Zollverein / Frank Vinken
The future of the Ruhr region
“Successful regional transformation processes. Potential futures for the Ruhr region“. Under this headline, the IZT prepared international impulses for change along the Ruhr. more...
2013
Brost-Stiftung
© Kay Strasser
Sustainability 2.0 - a future concept being modernized
The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) received recommendations from this research project that can improve the motivational function and the effectiveness of the guiding principle “Sustainable Development”. more...
2013 - 2016
Umweltbundesamt
© IZT/Lena Ganssmann
Automation 2025+
The ZVEI - German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers renewed its collaboration with the IZT and commissioned an integrated roadmap for its member companies in the automation sector. The following two fields of the future are in focus: industrial biotechnology and recycling of materials as a source of raw materials. The time frame extends to the years 2025+. more...
2013 - 2015
ZVEI - Zentralverband Elektrotechnik und Elektronikindustrie e.V.
© Bilfinger
Integrating Social Acceptance of Electricity Grid Expansion into Energy System Modeling
Present energy system models are mainly based on techno-economical input parameters whereas social or political factors are neglected. This project explored an approach to include social acceptance in energy system modeling, focusing on electricity transmission grid expansion projects in Germany. more...
2013 – 2016
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) - Förderprogramm: Sozial-ökologische Forschung (SÖF)
© fotolia_54481947_XS
How to keep the EU power sector on track to decarbonisation - Delphi Survey:
The European Climate Foundation in Brussels (ECF) wanted an assessment of the extend to which the European Commission's planned decarbonisation is on track. Therefore the IZT organized a Delphi survey among more than 100 experts in the field of energy transition in Europe. more...
2013
ECF - European Climate Foundation, Brussels
Scenario workshop with illustrator © IZT
Meetings and Conventions 2030
The societal trends and challenges most relevant for the conference and conventions industry were investigated. For this purpose the IZT developed a scenario for the year 2030th using various methods of futures research The aim was to offer guidance to meeting planners and other interested actors. more...
2012 - 2014
GCB German Convention Bureau e. V.
© Igor Yaruta/123RF Stockfoto
Demografic Change - Challenges and Recommendations for Environmental Protection
This project has the intention to produce an exploratory study about case studies from communities on their measures and activities focussed on demografic change which also have additional positive effects for environmental protection. more...
2012
Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit
Umweltbundesamt
Umweltbundesamt
© http://images-of-elements.com
Criticality of non-fuel raw material supply for Germany
The KfW Group has commissioned a study to IZT in order to identify economically important non-fuel minerals and metals that could face severe supply problems. more...
2011
KfW Bankengruppe
Mobility 2030
On behalf of ADAC, the German automobile club, a set of future labs and scenario workshops have been conducted to obtain normative and action-oriented perspectives for everyday life mobility of the future. more...
2009 - 2010
ADAC e. V.
@ CC0 / unsplash / Matthiew Wiebe
European Energy Foresight Network
The ultimate objective of the EFONET project is to assess the contribution that current knowledge on energy foresight methods and on their practical application can provide to energy policy making - specifically in the framework of the transition towards a sustainable and low carbon energy system. more...
2008 - 2010
European Commission - DG Research
© StockSnap / João Silas
Methods of futures analysis and scenario analysis
With regard to the challenges and questions for the future of development, this study aims at identifying different methodological scenario approaches focusing their scopes, strengths and weaknesses. The study will discuss which instruments seem to be particularly appropriate for strategic orientation of development politics and policy. more...
2008
German Development Institute/ Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
Acceptance and Promotion Strategies for Renewable Energy Technologies on Local and Regional Level
The acceptance and support of a wide range of strata of the population and of decision-makers is urgently needed for the continued expansion of renewable energies towards being the primary means for energy and electricity provision. Addressing the accumulated questions, strategies will be developed in a series of workshops involving the relevant decision-makers, as to how the acceptance of renewable energy technologies can be funded and how their use on a regional and local level can be intensified. more...
2005 - 2008
German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Andres de Wet (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons
Energy as Key Element for the Sustainable Development of Megacities - Johannesburg, South Africa (1)
Megacities of tomorrow have a crucial role to play in transition towards global sustainable development. One of the key issues they have to address to implement sustainability is to solve the energy question: Secure energy supply, equitable access to energy resources and ecologically friendly energy production and use are fundamental prerequisites for sustainabledevelopment of the world and of Megacities in particular. more...
2005 - 2007
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Nationale Emissionshöchstmengen einhalten - Prognosen bis 2005, 2010, 2015 und 2020
Das IZT schätzte erstmals systematisch die Emissionen von vier Luftschadstoffen für zukünftige Jahre ab. Denn Schwefeldioxid, Stickoxide, Ammoniak und flüchtige Kohlenwasserstoffe sind verantwortlich für Sommersmog und für die Versauerung und Überdüngung von Böden und Gewässern. more...
2001 - 2002
Umweltbundesamt
© Springer
Dezentrale Stromerzeugung
The DECENT study was designed and carried out to identify the main barriers and success factors to the implementation of DG projects within the EU and to formulate a number of related recommendations to EU and Member State policy makers to enhance the feasibility of DG projects within the internal energy market. more...
2000 - 2002
Europäische Kommission, GD Transport und Energie
