Phone: +49 30-884 594-15
jonas.pentzien(at)ioew.de
Digitalization is fundamentally transforming the economy and society. It opens up new opportunities for collaboration, open knowledge, and the circular economy. At the same time, it presents significant challenges – particularly in areas such as social justice, democracy, and ecological sustainability.
Smart process management, artificial intelligence, or digital product passports can contribute to sustainable development. However, this is not a given. On the contrary, achieving this requires intentionally shaping the digital transformation with a focus on sustainability. The potential benefits of digitalization, such as dematerialization or energy and resource savings, are counterbalanced by risks like increased resource consumption due to the proliferation of digital devices, rebound effects, social exclusion of disadvantaged groups, and heightened vulnerability of critical infrastructures.
Our research at the IÖW spans topics such as commons-oriented approaches in the platform economy, digital technologies for nature-based climate protection in municipalities, and the development of a digital, decentralized energy system of the future. Our unifying goal is to create sustainability-oriented governance instruments for policymakers and practitioners, enabling a socially just and ecologically viable digital transformation.