Forschungsschwerpunkte

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https://www.weizenbaum-library.de/handle/id/304

Aktualisiertes Forschungsprogramm

Zum Auftakt der ersten Etablierungsphase im September 2022 hat das Weizenbaum-Institut sein Forschungsprogramm aktualisiert. Um die relevanten Herausforderungen und Chancen des digitalen Wandels für Individuen und Gesellschaften interdisziplinär, grundlagenorientiert und wertebasiert zu untersuchen, wird die Forschung fortan in vier interdisziplinären Forschungsschwerpunkten organisiert:

Digitale Technologien in der Gesellschaft: zwischen Teilhabechancen und neuen Ungleichheiten
Digitale Märkte und Öffentlichkeiten auf Plattformen: zwischen Gemeinwohl und wirtschaftlichen Imperativen
Organisation von Wissen: zwischen Offenheit und Exklusivität
Digitale Infrastrukturen in der Demokratie: zwischen Sicherheit und Freiheit

Jeder Schwerpunkt analysiert ein gesellschaftliches Spannungsverhältnis, das den gemeinsamen Bezug für die Arbeit in den jeweils vier Forschungsgruppen bildet, die einem Schwerpunkt zugeordnet sind. Flankiert und unterstützt werden die Forschungsgruppen vom neuen Weizenbaum Digital Science Center, das Forschungs-, Vernetzungs-, Orientierungs- und Infrastrukturleistungen für die interdisziplinäre Digitalisierungsforschung erbringt und die Kohärenz der Forschung stärkt.

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Can civic data be counterdata and open data? Exploring the limits of data, contestation and governance
(Nomos, 2025) Shibuya, Yuya; Olojo, Seyi; Hamm, Andrea; Krishnan, Radhika; Pargman, Teresa Cerratto; Kox, Thomas; Ullrich, André; Zech, Herbert
The increasing surveillance by big tech companies or/and governments has raised concerns about the democratic and participatory structure of the datafied society. Meanwhile, over the course of the past decade, various bottom-up civic tech and digital civic initiatives have emerged to tackle pressing local issues, such as air pollution and disaster response, often via technology-mediated data collection, curation, analysis, design and visualisations, thus promoting democratic participation. In this article, we discuss how these data are understood in diverse contexts beyond the realm of civic tech and digital civics. In doing so, we explore the potential and limits of civic data by exploring the intersections of and differences between civic data and adjacent data-related concepts often used by civic tech communities themselves: counterdata and open data. Through our discursive exploration of these three data concepts, we conclude that understanding is limited when it comes to determining which data are ‘civic’, and that discussion of questions related to power structures, diversity and inclusion and infrastructuring of civic data has been minimal.
Design thinking capabilities in the digital world: A bibliometric analysis of emerging trends
(2023) Dragičević, Nikolina; Vladova, Gergana; Ullrich, André
Recent research suggests that design thinking practices may foster the development of needed capabilities in new digitalised landscapes. However, existing publications represent individual contributions, and we lack a holistic understanding of the value of design thinking in a digital world. No review, to date, has offered a holistic retrospection of this research. In response, in this bibliometric review, we aim to shed light on the intellectual structure of multidisciplinary design thinking literature related to capabilities relevant to the digital world in higher education and business settings, highlight current trends and suggest further studies to advance theoretical and empirical underpinnings. Our study addresses this aim using bibliometric methods—bibliographic coupling and co-word analysis as they are particularly suitable for identifying current trends and future research priorities at the forefront of the research. Overall, bibliometric analyses of the publications dealing with the related topics published in the last 10 years (extracted from the Web of Science database) expose six trends and two possible future research developments highlighting the expanding scope of the design thinking scientific field related to capabilities required for the (more sustainable and human-centric) digital world. Relatedly, design thinking becomes a relevant approach to be included in higher education curricula and human resources training to prepare students and workers for the changing work demands. This paper is well-suited for education and business practitioners seeking to embed design thinking capabilities in their curricula and for design thinking and other scholars wanting to understand the field and possible directions for future research.
Dreaming of AI: environmental sustainability and the promise of participation
(2024) Zehner, Nicolas; Ullrich, André
There is widespread consensus among policymakers that climate change and digitalisation constitute the most pressing global transformations shaping human life in the 21st century. Seeking to address the challenges arising at this juncture, governments, technologists and scientists alike increasingly herald artificial intelligence (AI) as a vehicle to propel climate change mitigation and adaptation. In this paper, we explore the intersection of digitalisation and climate change by examining the deployment of AI in government-led climate action. Building on participant observations conducted in the context of the “Civic Tech Lab for Green”—a government-funded public interest AI initiative—and eight expert interviews, we investigate how AI shapes the negotiation of environmental sustainability as an issue of public interest. Challenging the prescribed means–end relationship between AI and environmental protection, we argue that the unquestioned investment in AI curtails political imagination and displaces discussion of climate “problems” and possible “solutions” with “technology education”. This line of argumentation is rooted in empirical findings that illuminate three key tensions in current coproduction efforts: “AI talk vs. AI walk”, “civics washing vs. civics involvement” and “public invitation vs. public participation”. Emphasising the importance of re-exploring the innovative state in climate governance, this paper extends academic literature in science and technology studies that examines
E-participation in municipalities services: A systematic literature review of evaluation approaches
(2025) Ietto, Beatrice; Ullrich, André
Evaluating e-participation initiatives is critical to understanding their impact on democratic processes, public policy, and societal welfare. However, existing evaluation frameworks often neglect the complexities of multi-stakeholder environments. Through a systematic literature review of 47 empirical cases, this gap is addressed by developing a typology of evaluation categories (supply-side, user activity, public value, political, and societal impact) and a comprehensive evaluation framework that accounts for the diverse objectives of all the involved stakeholders — technology providers, local governments, and citizens. By integrating short-term engagement metrics and long-term societal outcomes, the framework ensures more accurate assessments of e-participation success. We argue that adopting a multi- stakeholder approach in evaluation can significantly enhance the effectiveness, inclusivity, and sustainability of e-participation initiatives. Our findings challenge current evaluation practices and provide guidance for practitioners aiming to optimize governance, improve public services, and empower citizens through more robust evaluation methods. This study lays the foundation for systematic evaluation methods that consider stakeholder objectives, crucial for advancing e- participation research, and policy.
Employee involvement and participation in digital transformation: a combined analysis of literature and practitioners' expertise
(2023) Ullrich, André; Reißig, Malte; Niehoff, Silke; Beier, Grischa
This paper provides a systematization of the existing body of literature on both employee participation goals and the intervention formats in the context of organizational change. Furthermore, degrees of employee involvement that the intervention formats address are identified and related to the goals of employee participation. On this basis, determinants of employee involvement and participation in the context of digital transformation are unveiled.
Empowering smart regions: addressing challenges and leveraging enabling factors in municipal digital transformation
(Nomos, 2025) Brandenburger, Bonny; Hamm, Andrea; Krohn, Caroline; Sühlmann-Faul, Felix; Atug, Manuel; Döpp, Nicole; Ullrich, André; Kox, Thomas; Ullrich, André; Zech, Herbert
The advancing digital transformation of society creates a wide range of opportunities for improved access to information and resources that contribute to ensuring the availability of public services and the development of sustainable living spaces. This underlying potential does not only apply to urban areas; digitalisation projects are also being implemented in rural municipalities in order to exploit the potential of digital transformation. Nevertheless, the field of so-called smart regions has yet to receive substantial focus in research. To understand the specific challenges and enabling factors of digital transformation activities in urban-rural areas, a workshop was organised with the cooperation of municipal representatives of a model region in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Therein, specific technical, economic and social challenges as well as enabling factors of municipal digitalisation projects aimed at developing smart regions were identified. The results show that the success of digital transformation meas‐ ures in urban-rural areas is not only determined by the expansion of a corresponding technical infrastructure but in particular by the acceptance of citizens and municipality employees, as well as economic viability. This research further informs municipalities and future researchers on the critical factors required to effectively conduct digitalisation projects in the smart region context.
Gewissensbisse - Fallbeispiele zu ethischen Problemen der Informatik
(transcript Verlag, 2023) Class, Christina B.; Coy, Wolfgang; Kurz, Constanze; Obert, Otto; Rehak, Rainer; Trinitis, Carsten; Ullrich, Stefan; Weber-Wulff, Debora
Die vielfältigen Möglichkeiten moderner IT-Systeme bringen drängende ethische Probleme mit sich. Neben der offensichtlichen Frage nach einer moralisch tragbaren Verwendung von Informationstechnologien sind ebenso die Aspekte des Entwerfens, Herstellens und Betreibens derselben entscheidend. Die Beiträge setzen sich mit dem Konfliktpotenzial zwischen Technik und Ethik auseinander, indem sie lebensnahe Fallbeispiele vorstellen und fragenbasiert zur Diskussion einladen. Damit liefern sie eine praktische Herangehensweise zum gemeinsamen Nachdenken über moralische Gebote und ethischen Umgang mit IT-Systemen und ihren Möglichkeiten. Der Band eignet sich damit in hervorragender Weise zum Vermitteln und Erlernen von ethischer Reflexions- und Handlungskompetenz in der Informatik sowie im Umgang mit IT-Technologien überhaupt.
Künstliche Intelligenz zum Schutz der natürlichen Welt? Einführung in ethische und gesellschaftsfreundliche Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) mit Blick auf den Naturschutz
(Bundesamt für Naturschutz, 2023) Rehak, Rainer; Mrogenda, Klemens; Davis, Marlen; Feit, Ute; Schneider, Christian
Measures to reduce corporate GHG emissions: A review-based taxonomy and survey-based cluster analysis of their application and perceived effectiveness
(2023) Lewandowski, Stefanie; Ullrich, André
Companies contribute to a large extent to greenhouse gas emission. To mitigate this, measures for reducing these emissions can be applied. There is, however, neither a systematized general overview of existing measures nor an estimation of their application and their effectiveness to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study strives to close this gap by reviewing research on the reduction of corporate greenhouse gas emissions and synthesizing emission reduction measures in a taxonomy. Furthermore, the application of these measures and their perceived effectiveness is empirically assessed using a survey among companies that are involved in emission reduction activities. On this basis, a cluster analysis is conducted to identify measure types and to unveil application patterns. 27 different measures and 65 respective implementation examples are identified and structured within nine categories: energy, product, process, technology, 6R and waste management, office and mobility, management, reporting and disclosure, and compensation measures. The empirical analysis shows that there exist measures with a high efficiency to reduce emission, which are rarely applied in companies. On the other side, a large share of applied measures is not perceived as highly effective. Companies can use these results to structure their emission reduction activities and identify best practices.
Municipalities’ digitalization and sustainability transformations: A network approach for designing a transdisciplinary knowledge community
(Association for Computing Machinery, 2023) Hamm, Andrea; Ullrich, André; Rehak, Rainer; Becker, Kristina; Nölting, Benjamin
In response to changing climatic conditions and the increasing need for more inclusive and participatory municipal service provision, many municipalities are undergoing a dual transformation process, one digital and one socio-ecological one. However, municipalities are at different stages and with different paces, often neither know what each other’s transformation processes look like nor have the tools and resources for meaningful cooperation. To foster knowledge sharing and mutual learning, we use a network approach for designing a transdisciplinary knowledge community for municipalities undergoing such transformation processes. This research in progress serves to improve the transfer between science and practice.
New Objects, New Boundaries: How the “Journalism of Things” Reconfigures Collaborative Arrangements, Audience Relations and Knowledge-Based Empowerment
(2022) Hamm, Andrea
Journalism of Things (JoT) is a new paradigm in digital journalism where journalists co-create sensor technologies with citizens, scientists, and designers generating new kinds of data-based and community-driven insights to provide a novel perspective on matters of common concern. This study locates Journalism of Things in existing theory and elaborates on innovation practices with the analytical lenses of boundary work and objects of journalism. Three case studies on recent award-winning journalism projects in Germany include interviews, media content analyses, and observations. The findings suggest four typical phases in JoT projects: formation, data work, presentation, and ramification. Blurred boundaries of journalism towards science and activism become apparent when co-creative JoT teams apply scientific methods and technology design while mobilizing communities. The article discusses how things (or objects) of JoT have implications on the configuration for collaborative arrangements and audience relations. By creating and disseminating new local knowledge on matters of common concern, JoT is contributing to empowering both journalism and citizens.
New Teaching and Learning Worlds-Potentials and Limitations of Digitalization for Innovative and Sustainable Research and Practice in Education and Training
(2023) Vladova, Gergana; Ullrich, André; Sloane, Mona; Renz, André; Tsui, Eric
Shaping digital transformation for a sustainable society
(2023) Jankowski, Patricia; Höfner, Anja; Hoffmann, Marja Lena; Rohde, Friederike; Rehak, Rainer; Graf, Johanna
The second ‹Bits & Bäume› conference took place in Berlin in 2022. Once again, it provided a space for critical tech and sustainability communities to share ideas and collaborate towards the common goal of shaping digitalisation to foster sustainability. This companion book compiles the insights, work, research and opinions of more than 65 authors with a ‹Bits & Bäume› background, including practitioners, researchers and activists. The articles included in this journal demonstrate the progress made in merging ‹Bits› and ‹Bäume› (Trees) topics since our first publication in 2019 by addressing different sub-areas of the intersections between digitalisation and sustainability. Encompassing a wide range of topics, the articles delve into pressing challenges such as the resource consumption, power implications and democratic governance of digital infrastructures, AI, blockchains, mobile apps, and other software applications, as well as the need to address the unsustainable practices and paradigms of e.g., the platform economy. Offering not only transparency but also solutions, the journal presents practical approaches and concepts related to the necessary transformation, such as the Computer Science for Future programme. It also contains articles commenting on current political developments, such as the EU legislation on sustainability and freedom-related aspects of ICT devices. Further articles highlight the power of and need for an active civil society, aiming to inspire activism. This journal caters for everyone: Are you just getting into the topics around Bits & Bäume? Have you been involved in this field for many years, or are you an expert in one of the areas touched on here? In this journal you will find both introductory topics, such as illustrations on the challenges of today’s digitalised society, and also advanced topics, such as conceptual and regulatory discussions. Whatever your background, we think you’ll enjoy the read, learn something new on the way, and get inspired. Ultimately, we are all united by the overarching goal of shaping digitalisation as part of a necessary socio-ecological change; one which contributes to a sustainable and just society.
Shaping uncertain journeys into digital futures - perspectives on the digital and socio-ecological transformation
(Nomos, 2025) Ullrich, André; Kox, Thomas; Zech, Herbert; Kox, Thomas; Ullrich, André; Zech, Herbert
The Civic Internet of Things as a socio-technical object. Studies on community-based environmental monitoring, sustained civic engagement and new opportunities in journalism.
(Freie Universität Berlin, 2022) Hamm, Andrea; Neuberger, Christoph; Raetzsch, Christoph
**Deutsch** In dieser Dissertation wurden Internet of Things (IoT) Technologien, wie Sensoren und ihre Anwendungen, aus einer soziotechnischen Perspektive mit Schwerpunkt auf zivilgesellschaftliche (engl. civic) Zwecke für die Verwendung der Technologien erforscht. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist es, ein tiefergehendes Verständnis vom Civic IoT und seinen gesellschaftlichen Transformationspotenzial zu erlangen. Die übergreifende Forschungsfrage lautet: Was sind die gesellschaftlichen Implikationen des technologischen Objekts Civic IoT? Drei Anwendungsbereiche, welche als hochrelevant eingestuft wurden, werden in dieser Arbeit studiert: gemeinschaftliche (engl. community-based) Umweltbeobachtung, nachhaltiges Engagement von Civic-Tech-Initiativen und der „Journalism of Things“. Diese Dissertation ist eine kumulative Arbeit und umfasst drei begutachtete wissenschaftliche Publikationen.
Uncertain Journeys into Digital Futures: Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research for Mitigating Wicked Societal and Environmental Problems
(Nomos, 2025) Kox, Thomas; Ullrich, André; Zech, Herbert
The Weizenbaum Institute organised its sixth Annual Conference on the topic of “Uncertain journeys into digital futures” in Berlin in June 2024. The conference focused on the challenge of the digital transformation and the socio-ecological transformation of society which are closely interlinked and crucial for prospering futures of humanity. Challenges include the protection of people, democratic institutions and the environment, as well as enabling participation in shaping changes and an inclusive and fair life. Relevant topics for addressing these challenges are smart cities and urban transformation, digital technologies for sustainability, social justice, governance and citizen participation as well as ideas and visions of the future.
What is Next for Civic Design?
(2024) de Kreek, Mike; Mosselaer, Ferry Ferry van de; Newell, Katrina; Waal, Martijn de; Gordon, Eric; Vlachokyriakos, Vasilis; Hamm, Andrea; Ferri, Gabriele; Jaskiewicz, Tomasz; Smeenk, Wina; Choi, Jaz Hee-jeong; Gray, C.; Hekkert, P.; Forlano, L.; Ciuccarelli, P.
This conversation started from the observation that contrasting logics between civic initiatives and institutional approaches often make it challenging for the former to become sustainable and increase their impact. We therefore explored how civic design could enhance the significance of local civic initiatives within institutional settings. The vivid conversation rendered three key orientations in civic design: 1) operating from within the community, 2) focusing on the interaction between civic initiatives and governmental and academic institutions, and 3) taking a transformational perspective on the interplay between civil society and its institutional context in the information age. We identified prompting questions on four important topics, primarily related to the second orientation: listening to citizens, fostering collaborative relationships, ensuring continuity through funding, and scaling or spreading local civic initiatives. These questions contribute to the agenda for next steps on the role of civic design.
Zwischen Macht und Mythos. Eine kritische Einordnung aktueller KI-Narrative
(2023) Rehak, Rainer

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Auflistung Forschungsschwerpunkte nach Forschungsgruppen "Digitalisierung, Nachhaltigkeit, Teilhabe"

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