Public Technology and Innovation Planning

The research group "Public Technology and Innovation Planning" investigates how public responsibilities and tasks evolve in response to technological, societal and security-related changes and what innovation needs arise as a result. The goal is to promote the respective development and advancement of capabilities by co-creatively developing customized technical and process-oriented solutions.

Examples for societal changes include digital transformation, shifting security-related conditions or adaptations to climate change, such as the energy transition. These developments require profound transformation processes at both societal and organizational levels.

The focus is on a scientifically grounded analysis of these developments, in order to derive future needs and support strategic planning processes in the public sector. This support is provided, for example, on behalf of the European Commission, federal ministries or authorities and organizations with security-related responsibilities.

Civil Security – Focus: Civil protection and resilience
Strengthening societal and infrastructural resilience against natural hazards, pandemics, industrial accidents, terrorism and hybrid threats is an ever-evolving challenge i.e. related to civil security tasks and responsibilities of the public sector. The focus is on identifying required capabilities, analyzing collaborative processes and addressing aspects of prevention and crisis management.

Innovations in health protection and disaster medicine
Health protection faces both short-term crises, such as natural hazards and pandemics as well as long-term challenges stemming from climate change and demographic shifts. For years, the research group has been studying and evaluating solutions in civil protection and disaster medicine – from situational awareness, decision support and care concepts to IT-supported planning tools and strategies for resilient communication.

Development of rural areas
Rural areas in Germany and Europe are changing due to climate change, the energy transition, digitalization, demographic change and infrastructure changes. These changes are studied through an interdisciplinary approach, focusing on innovation ecosystems, future perspectives and resilience against climate impacts, service gaps and disasters.

Sustainable transformation
The research examines how societies can be made more resilient and resource-efficient on a systemic level in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss and natural hazards. This involves developing strategies for emission reduction, climate adaptation, efficient resource use, bioeconomic approaches and changes in consumption and lifestyles.

Synergy area: Security, defense and space
Global challenges such as climate change, hybrid threats and geopolitical uncertainties require a comprehensive security approach that involves civilian, military and scientific actors. The Security, Defense and Space synergy area is based on interdisciplinary research and the institute’s existing networks. Its goal is to identify overlapping needs, further develop security concepts and analyze threat scenarios.

Systematic planning process
The technology and innovation planning process for public sector clients is designed to be systematic and comprehensive. This process begins with the development of user-relevant scenarios and extends to needs assessment, identification of possible solutions, analysis of the operational context, evaluation and validation and the creation of a roadmap for practical implementation.

Methods and techniques
The development of new, application-specific solutions requires long-term innovation planning. Used and further developed methods support the anticipation of future developments and the early identification of capability gaps to enable targeted RD+I processes as well as co-creative development processes that involve all stakeholders. The modular strategic planning process primarily employs and further develops participatory research methods. These include techniques such as World Café, brainstorming, brainwriting, design thinking and gamified formats. In addition, citizen science methods promote public involvement of the public in development processes relevant for society.

Social science support
To support these inclusive and user-oriented innovation processes, social science methods such as interviews, surveys and stakeholder network analyses are also used.

Modules of the systematic planning process:

Trend analysis and scenario design
Key question: What are the challenges of the future?

• Development of specific future scenarios based on megatrends
• Use of the scenario funnel model to analyze possible futures

Identification of needs
Key question: What capabilities are needed to meet future challenges?

• Identification and prioritization of capability gaps
• Use of participatory formats such as workshops and interviews

Context analysis
Key question: What is the operational context of the possible future solution?

• Determination of technical, procedural and personnel interfaces
• Consideration of ethical, legal and societal perspectives

Technology- and solution screening
Key question: Which technologies and solutions are already available and which need to be developed further?

• Use of the analysis tool KATI®
• Identification and evaluation of technological and non-technological solutions

Evaluation and validation
Key question: How well does the planned or newly developed solution meet the needs and requirements?

• Definition of key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods

Roadmapping
Key question: What are the individual steps to meet the identified need?

• Development of a structured implementation roadmap
• Definition of options for procurement and/or research

DARE
Deployment and Engagement of Resources and Citizens for European Emergency Response

RESKON
Nachhaltige fähigkeitsbasierte und messbare Resilienzerhöhung von Staat und Verwaltung durch kontinuierliche Verbesserung

RADLÄR
Cycle logistics in rural areas

TeamUP
Holistic Capability and Technology Evaluation and Co-creation Framework for Unskilled First Responders and Enhanced CBRN-E Response

DIREKTION
Disaster Resilience Knowledge Network promoting innovation, technology uptake and multi-stakeholder cooperation

PCP-WISE
The Customization/Pre-Operationalization of Water Management Innovations from Space for European Climate Resilience

ARGUS
Analysis of resilience and capability gaps for the design and implementation of strategic security research

R&T Synergies
Identification and analysis of potential synergies in civil-military research cooperation