Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung ISI

Filters

8
4 4
Reset filters

Settings
Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
  • Publication
    The shape of global technology assessment
    ( 2023)
    Ladikas, Miltos
    ;
    Hahn, Julia
    ;
    Hennen, Leonhard
    ;
    Est, Rinie van
    ;
    Peissl, Walter
    ;
    Lindner, Ralf orcid-logo
    This chapter draws tentative conclusions from the findings of the book contributions with regard to possible future ways to organise TA on a global scale. These considerations comprise a discussion of possible organisational shapes that can support the global interchange and sharing of TA capacities, and increase its political relevance and operability on a global level. Beyond such medium- and long-term aspirations, the outlook reflects on more short-term practical steps that could be taken within the globalTA Network to improve interchange of knowledge and expertise, engage in joint projects and mutually foster analytical and methodological capacities.
  • Publication
    Tracing technology assessment internationally - TA activities in12 countries across the globe
    ( 2023)
    Hahn, Julia
    ;
    Heyen, Nils B. orcid-logo
    ;
    Lindner, Ralf orcid-logo
    This chapter aims to describe and highlight current and relevant developments of technology assessment (TA) across several countries and attempts to cluster these according to main areas of activity or modes of institutionalization. By tracing current TA or "TA-like" activities in selected countries across the globe, it highlights several developments, initiatives, or methods, which are interesting and relevant for a global perspective on TA. The focus of this chapter is mainly on non-European countries, which are part of the globalTA network. This provides a unique impression of TA-like activities in Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Czechia, India, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Slovakia, Russia, and the USA. This provides an overview of the heterogeneity of socio-political systems, modes of institutionalization of TA, and TA practices in the different countries observed. Yet at the same time, a TA core is visible, addressing potentials and risks of emerging technologies, ways of doing responsible research and innovation, issues of trust and acceptance by the public and different stakeholders, science and technology governance, and the like.
  • Publication
    The institutionalisation of a new paradigm at policy level
    ( 2023)
    Daimer, Stephanie orcid-logo
    ;
    Berghäuser, Hendrik orcid-logo
    ;
    Lindner, Ralf orcid-logo
    The concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has experienced a remarkable career within the European Union's policies for funding research and innovation, culminating in the embedding of RRI as a cross-cutting issue in the Horizon 2020 (H2020) framework programme. However, despite favourable conditions, empirical evidence shows that efforts to mainstream RRI at the level of policy practice and implementation by and large failed. With the aim of better understanding the reasons for the limited success of mainstreaming RRI, the authors draw on the concept of Deep Institutionalisation (DI) and adapt it to the analysis of institutionalisation processes related to policy practice and implementation. The adapted DI concept is applied to H2020 by using recent findings from RRI research to provide empirical illustration. The results suggest that key preconditions for the successful institutionalisation of RRI policies were not fulfilled. Specifically, broader policy debates reaching beyond the confines of a small policy arena within the European Commission, a lack of experimental embedding allowing for adjustment to different contexts, and the development of ownership in particular were not achieved. Building on the cornerstones of the DI concept, the authors conclude that attempts to mainstream RRI in H2020 have been premature.
  • Publication
    Introduction: Technology Assessment Beyond National Boundaries
    ( 2023)
    Hennen, Leonhard
    ;
    Peissl, Walter
    ;
    Hahn, Julia
    ;
    Ladikas, Miltos
    ;
    Est, Rinie van
    ;
    Lindner, Ralf orcid-logo
    Modern societies are immensely permeated by technologies and thus also dependent on them. Increasingly, this is also true for countries in the global South. As a result, questions about the interdependencies of technology and society, the possible mutual influences and the social governance of technology are becoming a global challenge.
  • Publication
    European e-democracy in practice. Introduction
    ( 2019)
    Hennen, Leonhard
    ;
    Korthagen, Iris
    ;
    Keulen, Ira van
    ;
    Aichholzer, Georg
    ;
    Lindner, Ralf orcid-logo
    ;
    Nielsen, Rasmus O.
    The introductory chapter provides an overview of the volume 'European e-Democracy in Practice'. The focus of the volume is on the exploration of the conditions needed to realise the democratic potential of the broad scope of tools, instruments and procedures to strengthen the ties between established processes of representative democratic decision-making and its constituencies, with a particular view to political communication and decision-making at the European level. Part I of the book provides the outcome of a broad literature review covering the scholarly debate on the achievements and potentials of e-democracy and its relevance for policymaking on the EU level. Part II of the book presents 22 case studies on the use of e-participation tools at the local, national and European levels which were carried out to learn about best practices and major challenges and problems of e-participation in practice. Finally, Part III provides a systematic comparative analysis of the case studies, and based on this analysis and the findings of the literature review, options for improving e-participation at the EU-level are discussed.
  • Publication
    E-Democracy: Conceptual foundations and recent trends
    ( 2019)
    Lindner, Ralf orcid-logo
    ;
    Aichholzer, Georg
    Lindner and Aichholzer provide an introductory overview of the theoretical and conceptual foundations of electronic democracy, thereby providing analytical insights on the interplay between Internet-based communication and democratic processes. To this end, different normative views, aims and approaches of e-democracy are presented and systematically related to the central tenets of the main models of democracy. As e-participation plays an essential role in most conceptions of e-democracy, a typology of Internet-based citizen involvement is developed, thereby structuring the diversity of e-participation practices. Given the growing relevance of Web 2.0 and social media, the chapter discusses to which degree they are able to support core democratic functions of public communication - namely public critique, legitimation, and integration - by exploring the effects of social media usage on the quality of deliberation, political activism and political behaviour. In view of phenomena such as ""personalised politics"", echo chambers and deliberate misinformation, the authors call for effective political, educational and regulatory responses to the democratic challenges social media increasingly pose.
  • Publication
    Options for Improving e-Participation at the EU Level
    ( 2019)
    Nielsen, Rasmus O.
    ;
    Hennen, Leonhard
    ;
    Korthagen, Iris
    ;
    Aichholzer, Georg
    ;
    Lindner, Ralf orcid-logo
    In this chapter, Nielsen et al. propose options for improving e-participation at the EU level without changing underlying legal frameworks. In response to the challenges to e-participation, which arise out of current institutional designs, the authors make creative use of the research results presented earlier in the book to suggest 'low-hanging fruits' for practical reform. The challenges addressed include the relative weakness of individual citizens' participation compared to that of CSO's, the weakness of the Parliament in the legislative process and the continued de-coupling of the EU policy process from the will of the European citizens. While the chapter proposes no easy fixes, it points to some obvious practical steps forward. To improve existing participation mechanisms, the authors recommend providing improved support to citizens using the ECI, investing in the back-office support needed for the EP Petitions Portal to realize its potential and improving the scalability of Your Voice in Europe through advanced data analysis. They also make four novel proposals, first among which is to experiment with participatory budgeting in relation to the Regional and Social Funds. The chapter ends with a plea for a long-term vision of a unified European participation structure to gather and harness the potentials of individual mechanisms.