ITAS - Profile and Research fields
ITAS creates and communicates knowledge on the impacts of human action and their evaluation in view of the development and use of new technologies. Its work focuses on environmental, economic, social and political-institutional issues. Alternative options for action and design are developed and assessed. In this way ITAS supports politics, science, business and the general public in future decision-making on the basis of the best available knowledge and rational assessments. The production of knowledge on consequences meets a social demand for advice, and concrete advice is based on scientific knowledge. For this purpose, ITAS applies and upgrades methods of technology assessment and systems analysis.
- Objectives
- Adresses and clients
- Methodology
- Cooperation and networks
- Research fields
- Department of Technology-Induced Material Flow (ZTS)
- Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament (TAB)
- Technology Assessment for the European Parliament
- Book series
- Journals
- Internet
- Information materials
- Work experience / Internships
Objectives
The subjects of investigation by ITAS are usually crosscutting systemic relationships between processes of social change. The development of alternative options for action and design requires consideration of social goals and values. ITAS therefore employs scientific methods to study problems of technology and impact assessment as well as problems of decision-making and acting under uncertainty and risk.
Scientific knowledge pragmatically developed by ITAS can be further defined by the following aspects:
- Reference to societal problems and practice: With its research topics, ITAS addresses the need for advice on the impacts of science and technology. The institute produces knowledge against the background of societal problems and discourses and of urgent technology decisions. Relevant societal actors are involved in the research and communication process.
- Normativity and sustainability: ITAS approaches the problem of technology assessment with scientific means. The vision of sustainable development in the sense of the integrative concept of sustainability developed by ITAS in the Helmholtz context provides well-founded orientation.
- Relation to the future and reflexivity: The institute's research work regularly includes a prospective component. The focus - in terms of precautionary research - is on forecasting the consequences of human action, both as a foresight of socio-technological developments and as an assessment of the future impacts of current decisions.
- Contribution to shaping technology: Ideally, research results are integrated into different alternative options for action and shaping, and are rationally evaluated with regard to their impacts and implications.
In this way, ITAS contributes to the scientifically informed and normatively reflected shaping of future technologies and their societal context. This specific programme of problem-oriented research is implemented in concrete projects with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches.
Adresses and clients
ITAS carries out self-defined research work integrated within the programmes of the Helmholtz Association, as well as third-party funded and contract research. ITAS also contributes to the identification of topics for scientific research and provides central actors with advice on research policy. Important external clients and sponsors in the political area are the EU Commission, federal and state ministries, and authorities (e.g. the German Federal Environmental Agency). In the parliamentary area, ITAS has been operating the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament (Büro für Technikfolgen- Abschätzung beim Deutschen Bundestag, TAB) since 1990. ITAS also is leading a network of European parliamentary TA institutions advising the European Parliament via its Scientific Technology Options Assessment Panel (STOA). Business addressees are companies and associations. The interested general public is the addressee of ITAS' contributions to the public discourse on science and technology.
Methodology
The specific demands on the scientific methodology range from acquisition and evaluation problems related to the basic data, their systematisation and use for forecasts, the integration of results into larger contexts, their evaluation (e.g. in terms of sustainability), the development of appropriate strategies and options for action, up to the communication of the results to the addressees, and contribution to the public discourse on science and technology. The development and refinement of appropriate methods (constructive component) as well as the analysis of problems associated with the interpretation of the results and their integration into larger contexts (reflexive component) therefore are an integral part of ITAS' work. The studies focus on evaluation problems in the context of sustainable development as well as on forecast analyses in the area of key technologies (foresight). They are carried out in the different research fields on the basis of specific issues and requirements.
Cooperation and networks
ITAS is integrated within the research programme of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe and the Helmholtz Association of German research centres and cooperates with numerous scientific institutions on a national and international level, particularly within the framework of EU projects. ITAS also works together with industrial companies and associations in ad-hoc and projectrelated cooperation. Furthermore, there is a broad variety of cooperative relationships with universities. ITAS staff provides seminars at local universities. The institute also contributes to training scientific talent by supervising diploma and doctoral theses.
ITAS is one of the initiators of the German-language "Netzwerk TA" (TA Network) and is responsible for its information platform. Internationally, ITAS is actively involved in networks, such as the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment Network (EPTA), the European Science and Technology Observatory (ESTO) and its successor, the European Techno-Economic Policy Support Network (ETEPS).
Research fields
Die Forschungsarbeiten des ITAS sind in die folgenden Forschungsbereiche gegliedert:
- Environment and resource management,
- Innovation processes and technology impacts,
- Knowledge society and knowledge policy.
Department of Technology-Induced Material Flow (ZTS)
On February 15 of 2008 the Department of Technology-Induced Material Flow (ZTS) founded as part of the Institute for Technical Chemistry (ITC), in 1999, has become part of ITAS.
Research conducted by ITAS-ZTS focuses on anthropogenic (caused by man) material flows.
The specific research profile results from our conceptional mission to accompany technology development and from the anthropogenic material flows being induced by technology. This means that research covers
ITAS-ZTS applies methods of systems analysis and the pertinent instruments. These methods and instruments are used in various study levels and technology fields and further developed for specific applications.
According to the mission of the Helmholtz Association, the Department of Technology-Induced Material Flow does not only conduct own research projects, but is also active in establishing the scientific infrastructure for the research area of anthropogenic material flows (Network on Life Cycle Inventory Data).
Notice: Till the complete integration of both websites, the department's website is available at: www.fzk.de/itas-zts.
Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament (TAB)
The work of the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament (TAB) is strictly oriented towards the information needs of the German Parliament and its committees. The political control body is the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment, which decides on the initiation of TA projects. Motions to start a TA project can be submitted by parliamentary political groups to the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment or in other committees. TAB's director has the scientific responsibility for the working results of TAB. Rapporteurs from one or more committees assist TAB projects and help integrate the results into the committees' activities. To date, TAB has submitted over 100 reports on projects and other activities. As TAB issues its own comprehensive information on its activities, only a brief presentation is given in this brochure.
Technology Assessment for the European Parliament
As the lead institution of a group of five European institutions, ITAS has been consulting the European Parliament since October 2005 on questions of the social, economic and ecological relevance of new scientific and technological developments.
By the end of the 1980s, the European Parliament - like many national parliaments in Europe - had established an advisory institution for issues of scientific and technological development as well as their ecological, social and economic implications. This institution, the so-called STOA panel (Scientific Technology Options Assessment), is a parliamentary committee for technology assessment consisting of members from different standing committees of the parliament. In view of the growing importance of the European science and technology policy, the European Parliament has decided to strengthen the scientific basis of STOA's work through the permanent involvement of recognised scientific institutions in the field of technology assessment. The Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) of the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe took the lead of a consortium of five European institutions in response to an invitation to tender for consultancy services in the area of science and technology in spring 2004. The consortium (European Technology Assessment Group, ETAG) will carry out studies on technology assessment on behalf of the STOA panel initially for a period of three years.
Book series
In the ITAS book series Gesellschaft - Technik - Umwelt. Neue Folge (Society - Technology - Environment. New Series) ITAS publishes reports on key conceptual and methodological issues of technology assessment, conference proceedings, as well as project results under the imprint of edition sigma, Berlin. The ITAS Yearbook is published biennially.
The findings of sustainability research by ITAS and other institutions of the Helmholtz Association are released in the series Global zukunftsfähige Entwicklung - Nachhaltigkeitsforschung in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (Global Sustainable Development - Sustainability Research in the Helmholtz Association), also under the edition sigma imprint.
The results of the TA projects and other TAB activities are primarily made available in the form of TAB Working Reports. By decision of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment, final reports on TA projects are also published as parliamentary documents. Since 1996, the final reports on TA projects have been published in the series Studien des Büros für Technikfolgen-Abschätzung beim Deutschen Bundestag (Studies of the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament) under the imprint of edition sigma, as long as there is no other publisher offering a technically more suitable environment.
Journals
ITAS publishes the journal Technikfolgenabschätzung - Theorie und Praxis (Technology Assessment - Theory and Practice) with three issues per year. The periodical serves both as a platform for scientific debate and as a source of up-to-date information on national and international activities in the field of technology assessment, as well as on ITAS itself.
TAB provides information on the latest developments and projects in its TAB-Brief (newsletter) published twice a year. Each TAB-Brief covers one main topic.
Internet
Both the ITAS and the TAB website provide extensive information in German and English on on-going and completed projects, publications and events. Besides the electronic archive of the journals "Technikfolgenabschätzung - Theorie und Praxis" and "TAB-Brief", also research reports (e.g. the TAB reports) can usually be downloaded here. Furthermore, the sites offer a list of links on TA institutions in Germany and Europe as well as standardised information on German TA research institutions.
Information materials
The publications in the book series are available from bookshops. The journals as well as printed work and research reports (if available) can be ordered via the secretariats of ITAS and TAB. An overview of selected publications of the last two years, which of course are not limited to the book series and journals mentioned here, is given in the appendix of the brochure. A complete list of publications is available on the ITAS website.
The ITAS-leaflet and the ITAS-brochure as well as the current ITAS-Yearbook can either be downloaded or might be ordered online [here]
Work experience / Internships
ITAS offers opportunities for students and postgraduates to gain work experience (internships) in the context of the work programmes of the respective research areas. Those interested are encouraged to send their CV, a short description of their research interests and the work planned, and to indicate which project they would like to join. The information can be send by mail or e-mail. For additional information please take a look at the webpage on "Jobs, Vocational and Advanced Training" provided by Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe.
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