The digital transformation of society confronts politics, science, and the public with fundamental questions. In order to independently and interdisciplinarily research its conditions, forms, and consequences, several research institutions in Germany have been collaborating since 2021 in the Network of Institutes for Digitalization Research (NIfD). The network relies on independent profiles and complementary strengths in order to address shared scientific and societal questions in a coordinated manner.
At the annual meeting on 23 and 24 April in Hamburg, the thematic focuses of further cooperation were at the center. These included open science and licenses, the conditions for successful interdisciplinarity in digitalization research, futures research, and transdisciplinary approaches.
In working groups on early-career researchers, career development, science communication, interdisciplinarity, and administration, opportunities for cooperation and future focal points were discussed. In terms of content, the agenda ranged from study results for improved interdisciplinary collaboration in digitalization research, through new research and infrastructure offerings, to questions of profiling and new disciplinary formats.
The next network meeting will take place in 2027 at the invitation of the Weizenbaum Institute on the occasion of its tenth anniversary in Berlin.
Photo: Wiebke Schoon
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.
Text: Jasmine Ait-Djoudi, Weizenbaum Institute e.V.