idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instance:
Share on: 
08/12/2019 12:06

What are the future topics of applied research?

Juliane Segedi Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Fraunhofer-Institut für Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation IAO

    Publication »Foresight Fraunhofer« explores 51 topics of Innovation and Future Research

    On behalf of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Fraunhofer IAO and three other institutes of the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research, have identified the most important future topics of applied research. In a foresight process, technological and societal developments were analysed with regard to their innovation potential and their relevance for applied research. Some spotlight topics such as geoengineering were discussed particularly controversially.
    Which topics will shape research and society in the future? In order to find answers to this question, researchers from the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research have identified key issues for the future on the basis of broadly-based horizon scanning and evaluated them with a potential analysis. The so-called spotlights are divided into topics whose high relevance is already evident today (e.g. deep learning - artificial intelligence, biodiversity) and those which will develop dynamically out of their niches in the future (e.g. biohybrid technologies). What all 51 spotlight future topics have in common is that they are highly relevant for applied research. Some of them have the potential to create or change a new dynamic market, while others can have comprehensive social effects while the market relevance is still unclear.
    In some of the spotlights, there is great agreement among the experts on their relevance (e.g. "liquid biopsy"). Others were very controversially discussed, such as the approach in geoengineering to reduce the melting of glaciers through geological landscape design in order to counter the effects of climate change. Even though the economic relevance of geoengineering is initially only indirectly apparent, experts say that special attention should nevertheless be paid to the topic, since the social impacts of technologies require particularly reflected action in research.
    Many highly interesting topics were analysed in the project, including examples such as Artificial Brain, Global Protein Supply or Transient Materials. In some of the spotlights, there is great deal of agreement among the experts on their relevance (e.g. "liquid biopsy"). Others were discussed controversially, such as the approach in geoengineering to reduce the melting of glaciers through geological landscape design in order to counter the effects of climate change. Even though the economic relevance of geoengineering is initially only indirectly apparent, experts say that special attention should be paid to the topic, since the social impacts of technologies require particularly reflected action in research.

    Extensive Fraunhofer expertise from all 72 research institutes

    Cornelia Reimoser, Research Coordinator of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, emphasises another special feature of the project in addition to the systematic, very broad scanning of future topics: "The Fraunhofer Foresight Process uses the comprehensive Fraunhofer expertise across all 72 research institutes for its systematic look into the future. It identifies future topics for applied research that could have a decisive impact on economic and societal developments."
    The now published interim results in German and English herald the second project phase: With the aim of further optimising the methodological approach, new digital information sources and evaluation options will be used and a dialogue initiated with the researchers of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.


    Contact for scientific information:

    Sibylle Hermann
    Service Business Innovation
    Fraunhofer IAO
    Nobelstraße 12
    70569 Stuttgart
    Phone +49 711 970-2020
    sibylle.hermann@iao.fraunhofer.de


    Original publication:

    https://www.iao.fraunhofer.de/lang-en/press-and-media/latest-news/1431what-are-t...


    Images

    Criteria of this press release:
    Business and commerce, Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students, all interested persons
    Electrical engineering, Information technology, Social studies, Traffic / transport
    transregional, national
    Miscellaneous scientific news/publications, Scientific Publications
    English


     

    Help

    Search / advanced search of the idw archives
    Combination of search terms

    You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.

    Brackets

    You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).

    Phrases

    Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.

    Selection criteria

    You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).

    If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).