Consortium
Zeppelin University (Co-ordinator)
Zeppelin University is a state-recognised private institution of higher education bridging Business, Culture and Politics. Zeppelin University defines itself as an individualised, international and interdisciplinary educator of well-rounded decision makers and creative innovators in the fields of business, culture and politics, and as a multi-disciplinary research institution exploring issues relevant to society.
Zeppelin University is a “Pioneering University” which focuses on the special interests and skills of students and researchers. Our objective: the uncompromising pursuit of academic curiosity and excellence.
Homepage
www.zeppelin-university.de
Contact
Project Co-ordinator: Professor Nico Stehr, Ph.D. F.R.S.C., Karl- Mannheim- Chair for Cultural Studies
Research Fellow: Dr. Jacquelyne Luce
Project Manager: Dr. Alexandra Hausstein
The Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences (ICCR)
The Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences was founded in 1986 as a private non-profit research organization. The mission of the ICCR is to produce high-quality interdisciplinary research on Europe by carrying out policy relevant research with a network of partner organizations.
The ICCR specializes in strategic policy analysis using applied, multi-disciplinary and comparative research with Europe defining the geographical scope. The ICCR has four thematic research programmes: (1) Society, Technology and Research, (2) Environment and Sustainability, (3) Social Policy Analysis - Social Structures and Integration and (4) Transport Policy Analysis and Evaluation. A fifth research area 'European Developments: Policies and Politics' operates as a think-tank on the basis of the integration of research results from the four thematic programmes.
Homepage
www.iccr-international.org
Contact
Dr. Liana Giorgi, Vice-Director
University of Warwick, Department of Sociology
The Warwick Sociology Department is one of the largest in the UK providing both undergraduate and graduate studies and carrying out interdisciplinary and sociology research. It is home to four research centres, namely, the Centre for Comparative Labour Studies, the Centre for the Study of Women and Gender, the Social Theory Centre and the Warwick Centre for the Study of Sport in Society.
The Social Theory Centre is the one that is involved primarily in the KNOWLEDGE NBIC project. The Social Theory Centre, founded in 1997, is devoted to the promotion and development of social theory in the broad sense of the term, though with particular emphasis on social theory's capacity to both respond to and shape contemporary social and political life. While based in the Department of Sociology, its interests range across a number of social science and humanities disciplines.
Homepage
www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/
Contact
Prof. Dr. Steve Fuller, Sociology Department, Social Theory Centre
Interdisciplinary Centre for Technological Analysis and Forecasting (ICTAF)
Founded in 1971, ICTAF, a leading institute in technology forecasting, foresight, assessment and roadmapping, is involved in strategic and long-term planning, and is very active in the international community. The multidisciplinary center taps the expertise of world-class scientists at Tel Aviv University and other well-known research establishments, to create a core body of researchers with deep knowledge in a diverse range of fields including biology, physics, chemistry, engineering, geography, economics, education and social sciences, information technology and communications. ICTAF functions as a think-tank, working alongside its governmental or business clients to produce far-reaching policies based on these diverse qualities, which are drawn from a unique blend of academic research and market know-how.
ICTAF has been involved in the S&T foresight for Israel addressing issues in education, occupational trends as well as gender issues. ICTAF researchers have also been engaged in the strategic planning and implementation of technology educational material, training programmes for the social sciences as well as policy measures targeting e-learning and e-living.
ICTAF is also a member of the NanoBio Network of Excellence and responsible for foresight and strategy regarding nano- and biotechnologies (www.nano2life.org). It thus has access to many of the leading scientists in this field and this will be of particular importance for the KNOWLEDGE NBIC project. ICTAF is also a member of the European Science and Technology Observatory (ESTO) and a member of European Organization for the Promotion of Energy Technology (OPET).
Homepage
www.ictaf.tau.ac.il
Contact
Dr. Tal Soffer, Senior Research Fellow
Dr. Yair Sharan, Director
Le Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche Comparative en Sciences Sociales (CIR)
The CIR is a private non-profit research institution (established in 2000 as an association under the French law of 1901, and legally registered under the SIREN number 433 416 187) that focuses on European issues in the broadest comparative sense. Its objectives are to conduct research and to organize dissemination of knowledge in its areas of concern. The CIR currently has a research staff of 12, and its activities are organized around four main poles. These are 'Political Spaces', 'Identities and Conflicts', 'Policies and Practices in European Research', and 'Public Services and Social Welfare'.
The CIR has close links with the ICCR in Vienna, which collaborated in its creation. The CIR also works closely with the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, where its Director, John Crowley, was previously a research fellow, and with UNESCO, where Crowley is currently a principal programme specialist. In addition, the CIR hosts the Secretariat of the European Association for the Advancement of Social Sciences (EA).
Homepage
www.iccr-international.org/cir
Contact
Dr. John Crowley, Executive Director
Foundation for European Scientific Co-operation (FEWN)
The Foundation for European Scientific Co-operation (FEWN) is a venture of the Polish Academy of Sciences, which is the largest state institution for basic and applied research in Poland and the Foundation for Polish Science. The FEWN was founded in 1998 and reactivated in 2004 after locating in the Jablonna Palace belonging to the Academy. The activities of FEWN are focused on monitoring the development of Polish S/TD policy from the point of view of its co-ordination with Community policies, development of strategic policy studies for Poland S/TD especially oriented for implementation of the Lisbon Strategy. Moreover, FEWN supports Poland's governmental and regional institutions in effective use of Community transfers, which are oriented for country's development.
The European Integration Exploratorium is a research unit of FEWN. It is involved in the following research activity: carrying out studies on the European Integration processes of the S/TD and innovation sector (institutional adaptation, financing aspects, preparation of the utilisation of Structural Funds for innovation issues), in close co-operation with European Union research institutions including European University Institute in Florence. The Government engages the Exploratorium in works on defining the National Development Plan and operational programmes (on country and regional levels), which are currently in a process of preparation for years 2007-2013.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Tadeusz Zoltowski, President
The Institute for Technology Assessment and System Analysis (ITAS)
The Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) is one of 16 institutes within the Karlsruhe Research Centre (Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe). The core of research at ITAS is the comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the development and application of technology and its inter-relationship with processes of societal change. ITAS currently employs 49 scientific professionals, of whom 60% are from the natural sciences and technology and 40% from economics, the social sciences and the humanities. The combination of disciplinary expertise and the ability to perform interdisciplinary analyses is essential. The research results are targeted for politics, science, industry, special societal groups, and the general public. The results are intended to improve the information base for decision-making in politics and society and to contribute to the societal discourse.
Homepage
www.itas.fzk.de
Contact
Dr. Gotthard Bechmann, Senior Research Associate
