Join us at the European Researchers Night on 29 September
Never before has it been so hot in the world in July. It is clear that something has to change. When we shop, we can make a small contribution, but how? Is eating tofu really always "better" than meat,...
View ArticleAI in Europe
How does the use of Artificial Intelligence impact democratic societies? This important question was analysed in depth by representatives from science and politics at the annual meeting of the network...
View ArticleNew ITA Dossier advises on climate-conscious and regional food futures
Global food production does make it possible to supply a wide variety of food. However, it also has negative sides. These include greenhouse gases due to long transportation routes or food losses due...
View ArticleWhat's to improve about sustainable living in Europe
City districts and neighbourhoods with a positive energy balance, meaning that each year less energy is consumed than generated, are called "Positive Energy Districts" (PEDs). In the TRANS-PED project,...
View ArticleTechnology Assessment Goes Global
Global developments in artificial intelligence, in dealing with climate change or in energy production are currently occupying experts from the field of technology assessment (TA) at many levels. The...
View ArticleUp and coming: ITA continues parliamentary consultation with current topics
The Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences has been supporting the Austrian Parliament with external monitoring since 2017. For the report in the second half of...
View ArticleTA24 – submissions welcome!
Methods play a central role in technology assessment (TA). Knowledge about the consequences and risks of technology must be generated, discussed, evaluated and – last but not least – communicated. The...
View ArticleWalter Peissl member of Austria's first Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board
An advisory board for the government and a service centre for companies and the public – these are the two new measures for dealing with artificial intelligence presented by the Austrian federal...
View ArticleGeneral Assembly of the ToNoWaste project in Vienna
From January 15 to 17, the general assembly of the European ToNoWaste project will take place at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The European meeting in Vienna, organized by the Institute of...
View ArticleStudy: Critical Raw Materials crucial for European Innovation
The supply of critical raw materials is essential for European innovation. A new study aims to present the European Parliament with options for how research and innovation can ensure a sustainable and...
View ArticlePlus-energy - the path to climate-smart cities
In the new ITA Dossier "Positive Energy Districts", Ornetzeder summarizes the most important results of the project: "Buildings account for almost 40 percent of energy consumption in Austria. The...
View ArticleBetween crisis management, ChatGPT and policy advice
The first press conference of the year in the newly renovated Austrian Parliament was dedicated to announce the continuation of the cooperation between the ITA and Parliament. ITA director Michael...
View ArticleNew parliamentary study on generative AI and democracy
Democratic systems are not rigid; they are constantly changing. New technologies change our information flow; global events influence politics. Rarely, however, has change been as noticeable as it is...
View ArticlePolicy advice in times of crisis
During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments had to make decisions under great uncertainty and with a lack of knowledge. Science played a central role in political crisis management. It had to generate...
View ArticleFair AI -Fostering Austria's Innovative Strength and Research Excellence in...
This FFG flagship project aims to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to implement the European AI Act and to minimize risks. It addresses the research gap that still exists in...
View ArticleAI and Democracy - New concepts of learning required
The use of AI demands huge adjustments in teaching. Automated decision-making poses a real threat to democracy. The new project A.I.D. aims to develop and test new learning materials for those teaching...
View ArticleAGIDE final conference: "Narratives of Digital Ethics"
On June 27/28, experts from all over the world will explore the question of how differences in approaches to digital ethics can be explained. Highlights include the Boston Dynamics' robot dog "spot"...
View ArticleWalter Peissl – an incredible 36 years for technology assessment
Walter Peissl marks the end of an era at the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He was and is a technology assessment expert without ifs and buts – a role...
View ArticleHow dangerous are nano technologies?
The Nanoinformation Commission (NIK), the official advisory body for the Ministry of Health on issues relating to the safety of nanomaterials and advanced materials since 2013, brings together the...
View ArticleNano materials in ceramic dental implants
The new NanoTrust Dossier No. 63 deals with biocompatible dental implants made of ceramic, which are increasingly replacing the usual titanium implants. In addition to aesthetic benefits such as colour...
View ArticlePioneer of privacy leaving the ITA
36 years... Walter Peissl: Yes, I started on April 11, 1988. We should actually be compiling a book now, "The Peissl Archives". Peissl: There are lists of publications (see below, note) and the text on...
View Article"We have to see technology as an open question, it is not a fact"
A doctor of biology and a researcher in science and technology, Kastenhofer realized early on in her career through her research on genetic engineering - and the controversy surrounding it - that...
View Article"Any raw material that is critical for Europe can cause problems"
The supply of mineral raw materials such as copper or lithium is of great importance for the European economy and essential for social prosperity. As they are difficult to replace and can only be mined...
View ArticleNew Book: Gestreamt, gelikt, flüchtig – schöne neue Kulturwelt?
Digitalisation is the driving technology of our time; its children are called the internet, smartphones and social media. This digital family is shaping and changing the way we think, feel and decide....
View ArticleUK health expert Natasha Mutebi visits ITA
For a week in July, the ITA had the opportunity to gain an interesting insight into the work of the research and innovation team at POST, the UK's science advisory body to Parliament. Highlights...
View ArticleHow to deal with emerging technosciences?
What is the social significance of the ongoing hybridisation of science and engineering? How do we want to control technological aspects of contemporary science in society? How should we deal with...
View ArticleSenior Scientist Astrid Mager habilitates at the University of Vienna
Visions and values in the design of search engines are the focus of the habilitation thesis of ITA Senior Scientist Astrid Mager. Mager shifts the focus from the effects of search engines on society to...
View ArticleNew projekt: Biodigitalisation at the Natural History Museum Vienna
Everything is going digital – even natural history! A vast variety of digitial approaches are currently revolutionizing our natural history museums, our view of the animate and inanimate natural world,...
View ArticleCall for Papers: Technology Assessment Goes Global
The aim of this conference is to bring together TA practitioners and other experts from around the world who are interested in technology assessment (TA). The focus is on different approaches and...
View ArticleITA continues nano research
NANOTRUST-BEYOND: Now in its 4th stage, André Gazso and his team will continue to collect knowledge and connect stakeholders in this long term project on nano technologies and advanced materials, which...
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