Shaping and developing tomorrow's technology is one of the biggest challenges of our age. At the Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society in Graz (IAS-STS), international fellows make valuable contributions exploring the complex issues arising from the interrelationship between science, technology and society. Technology is not simply a tool or applied science; nor is science simply an accumulation of knowledge. Rather, science and technology are firmly entrenched in society, both playing active and instrumental roles in shaping the everyday lives of individuals and communities.

Given the central importance of science and technology in contemporary society, socially sound and ecologically sustainable technology design requires interdisciplinary reflection and the development of practical strategies; the development of socially and environmentally sound innovations; as well as the opening and democratisation of actor networks. In particular, engineers and scientists are called upon to play a constructive and responsible role in tackling these tasks.

The democratisation of technology design requires a deeper understanding of the interdependence between science, technology and society. Conducting interdisciplinary research on the shaping of technology as a social process is the main focus of the Institute for Advanced Studies on Science, Technology and Society (IAS-STS).