Erwartungen an Wissenschaft in Krisenzeiten: Impulse für die Technikfolgenabschätzung aus zwei Beteiligungsformaten

Abstract

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are an accelerator of profound socio-technical transformation processes. Science in general and technology assessment (TA) in particular can and should play an important role in investigating and evaluating these transformation processes and providing robust orientation and transformation knowledge for (political) decision makers and the public. Based on two online surveys “Social consequences of the corona crisis” and data from a citizens’ dialogue, this article examines the assessment of trust in and expectations of science on the part of the TA‑related community and civil society. Lessons for successful TA are synthesized on the basis of inductively derived thematic clusters, such as dealing with uncertain knowledge and ambiguity or the diversity of research approaches.

Keywords

• COVID-19 pandemic
• participation
• trust in science
• technology assessment
• transdisciplinarity