Partner 10
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ISI, Website: www.fraunhofer.de |
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The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (Fraunhofer ISI) complements the natural science and technology-oriented activities of the Fraunhofer Society. About 70 researchers are involved in interdisciplinary research at the interface between technology, economy and society. By analysis of promising technologies, development of research priorities and monitoring of technology policy programmes, ISI assists decision-making processes in the public and private sectors. The analysis and evaluation of science and technology policy from a national and an international perspective is an integral part of the research conducted in the Fraunhofer ISI which will be central to its contribution to ResIST. In addition, the institute deals with the transdisciplinary topics on an inter-group basis: technology impact assessment, (policy) evaluation research and regional/region-specific research.
There are three participants from ISI in ResIST, Ulrich Schmoch, Susanne Bührer, and Bernd Beckert:
Ulrich Schmoch, mechanical engineer and sociologist, was, until recently, head of department and is presently director of a taskforce on innovation indicators and reader in sociology at the University of Karlsruhe. He has 20 years background in science and innovation policy with special focus on indicators, knowledge transfer, analysis of performance of science, and conception of instruments for innovation policy. He brings in practical experiences of the economic development in West Africa and is presently engaged in a project on the role of higher education in developing countries with many topics similar to those of ResIST. Furthermore he was engaged on studies of the science structures in Turkey, North Africa, and Brazil. These experiences are useful for Work Package 0 and Work Package 2.
Susanne Bührer, sociologist, studied political sciences, sociology and history. She worked at the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research in the field of migration, ethnic minorities and social networks. Took her doctorate 1997 at the University of Mannheim (Dr. phil) about the topic "The influence of social capital on the migration decision". At the Fraunhofer ISI she has worked in various fields closely linked to the topics of ResIST, in particular analysis of communication and cooperation structures; social network research, conception and evaluation of (national and international) research and technology policy; programme evaluations; monitoring evaluation of institutional promotional measures, participative technology assessment and gender research. She brings to Work Package 2 experience of a project on the international and cross-sectoral mobility of German researchers.
Bernd Beckert studied political science, communications science, and sociology. His work concentrates on development patterns, diffusion and use of new media; consequences of the convergence development in the media and IT sector concerning new business opportunities and new usage patterns; market analysis in the IT industry on regional, national and international level; organizational changes as a requirement for successful IT implementation and economic changes as a result of the Internet development; evaluation of government programmes to support the IT and media industry; broadband Internet developments from a technological, provider and user perspective; assessment of the Nano-, Info-, Bio-, Cogno (NBIC) development, study of “Convergent Technologies” as a new field of research and software-supported scenario analysis and other forecasting and planning instruments. These experiences are valuable for Work Package 4.