Topic network Society and Technology
The Society and Technology topic network addresses the relationship between society and technology, monitors social and technological trends and investigates their causes and consequences:
- What role do the technological sciences play in our society?
- How do innovations come about and how can they be promoted?
- How should we communicate science to the public and shape the public debate on technology?
- How can we get people excited about science and technology?
- How can we deliver high standards in STEM education (science, IT, engineering and mathematics)?
- How can we ensure an adequate long-term supply of highly-qualified personnel in the STEM subjects?
In this multidisciplinary topic network, we address the above questions, propose new projects and support the dissemination of project results. The Society and Technology topic network is open to all acatech’s members.
Four working groups
To help develop projects and expedite their work, the Executive Board has established four working groups. The members of the working groups are appointed by the Executive Board:
Education Working Group
acatech’s Education Working Group pools the knowledge of leading experts in the social sciences, humanities, and in engineering. The aim is to spark interest in the phenomena of technology and science, to improve the quality of STEM education and to support young people in STEM subjects.
Technology and Society Working Group
The Working Group deals with technological developments of relevance to society from the point of view of their design, perception, assessment and communication. A key area of work is the analysis of socio-technical transformation processes as well as societal discourse and controversies surrounding the subject. The Working Group scrutinises communication formats between technology and society, and advances them.
Fundamental Questions in Science and Engineering Working Group
This Working Group addresses basic theoretical and practical questions in the technological sciences. It pools the knowledge of experts in the fields of engineering, the natural sciences, philosophy of technology and science, theory of science, sociology of technology, history of technology and economics.
Economics and Innovation Research Working Group
acatech’s Economics and Innovation Research Working Group addresses the need for a stronger systemic approach to science-based policy advice on issues relating to innovation and value creation.