Research Area Potentials and risks of the digital society

Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies

In this research area, we investigate the benefits, challenges and social implications of socio-digital arrangements for an intelligent, socially just and environmentally sustainable transformation of central fields of social action.

Research at ZIRIUS on the potentials and risks of the digital society focuses primarily on the chances and limitations of intelligent and computer-based systems for a socially just transition towards sustainability in the fields of planning and building construction and mobility and energy infrastructures.

Current research projects investigate the use of computer-based methods, AI and intelligent control elements in urban planning, for a sustainable, climate-neutral and liveable built environment and for a reliable, resilient, socially just and democratic implementation of the energy transition.

Central research questions are:

  • What potentials do digital and computer-based sociotechnical arrangements provide for a socially just transition towards sustainability in the fields under study?
  • Which social, economic, institutional and cultural preconditions are required to realise these potentials?  Where are problems and limitations and possible conflicting objectives, risks or undesired side effects and how can we address them?
  • What hopes and expectations are invested in the digital transformation(s), what values and visions of the future are driving the transformation(s) and what is the role of sustainability and social justice in these processes?
  • How can the needs of different social groups already be included and taken into account in the development of new sociodigital arrangements?

Current Projects of this Research Area

Investigation of social and technical potentials and challenges of the application of computational design methods in building design practice

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To support the transformation of the energy system with all its social frictions and conflicts, a new inter- and transdisciplinary research network is being established at the University of Stuttgart, the Stuttgart Research Initiative "Discursive Transformation of Energy Systems" (SRI DiTEnS). In the initial research project "VR-based simulative design of a societal dialog for the transformation of urban energy systems", corresponding stakeholder-integrated decision-making processes for (pre-)urban (existing) neighborhoods for all buildings and infrastructure components located there are to be developed.

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within the Cluster of Excellence „Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture“ (IntCDC)

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as part of the Cluster of Excellence “Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture“ (IntCDC)

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In the joint project, an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary concept for the resilient design of the digital energy transition is to be developed with scientific and practical experts, as well as a resilience monitoring, the core of which is a stress test instrument. The main focus of the project is the development of this system-analytical instrument and the concept of its social integration

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The aim of the project is the regular collection of empirical data and analysis of the attitudes, expectations and perspectives in relation to new technologies and technical change

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CampUS exponent i is a real-world laboratory focussing on climate neutrality by investigating sustainable planning processes using intelligent control systems for buildings

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Members Research Area Potentials and risks of the digital society

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