On 14 January 2026, Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär met with leading researchers from the Network of Institutes for Digitalization Research (NIfD) at the Weizenbaum Institute to discuss the societal impacts of digitalization. The discussion focused on how digitalization research can help shape a digitally sovereign and democratic society and contribute to the implementation of the Hightech Agenda Germany (HTAD).
From insight to impact: The NIfD is a strong partner of the German federal government’s Hightech Agenda Germany, which aims to re-establish Germany as a leading high-tech nation. Science plays a key role in its implementation. The network’s interdisciplinary research approach systematically combines technological expertise, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, with social sciences and humanities research. In doing so, the institutes make a decisive contribution to the successful societal use of key digital technologies and to strengthening Germany’s and Europe’s digital sovereignty.
The network of six institutes sees itself as a strategic driver for the further development of digitalization research in Germany. This enables risks to be identified at an early stage, courses of action to be derived, and digital systems to be developed in a value-oriented manner.
As part of the network, the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) was represented at the exchange in Berlin by its Scientific Director Prof. Tim A. Majchrzak and Prof. Christoph Bieber, Head of the CAIS research program Digital Democratic Innovations.
“The exchange once again made clear that digital transformation and societal developments are deeply intertwined. At CAIS, we aim to better understand this connection and, together with other institutes for digitalization research, address key questions surrounding AI and digital change. It is important to us not merely to observe developments, but to actively help shape change in a way that serves the common good and provides people with orientation in this fast-moving digital world.”
Prof. Dr. Tim A. Majchrzak, Scientific Director of CAIS
About the Network of Institutes for Digitalization Research
Since 2021, the Network of Institutes for Digitalization Research (NIfD) has brought together leading institutions in Germany that conduct interdisciplinary research on the societal, political, and technological consequences of digital transformation. Network members include the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt), the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS), the Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI), the Weizenbaum Institute, and the Center for Responsible Digitalization (ZEVEDI). The network strengthens cooperation, knowledge exchange, and joint initiatives to make digitalization research in Germany visible and effective.
About the Center for Advanced Internet Studies
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has been providing long-term funding to the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) in Bochum since April 2021 as a central institute for digitalization research. Through evidence-based policy and practice recommendations, CAIS contributes to shaping digital transformation in the interest of society. Founded as a research college in early 2017, CAIS has since awarded fellowships to national and international visiting scholars in the field of digitalization research. Within its research programs on Digital Democratic Innovations, Education Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, Design of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, and the Transformation of Digital Democratic Discourses, interdisciplinary teams investigate the challenges of digital transformation. At CAIS, disciplines ranging from the social sciences and humanities to computer science are closely interconnected, and research results are tested in practical applications.
Text: Jasmine Ait-Djoudi, Weizenbaum Institute e.V.