November 2022
October 2025

ATRAKTIV – Building Transformative Capacities to Activate Regional Innovation Systems

Within the framework of the guideline for funding projects on the topic of “Exploring Regional Factors for Innovation and Change – Strengthening Societal Innovative Capacity” under the funding measure “REGION.innovativ”, the project consortium is researching transformative capacities, i.e. the societal ability based on various innovations and the activation of regional innovation systems to initiate and…

October 2020
March 2023

The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals as an opportunity and challenge for civic engagement

Cooperation between civil society organizations with both ecological and social issues is still rare, and sometimes characterized by reservations. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular offer potential for cooperation between organizations and their members on various social and ecological issues.

August 2018
July 2021

Innovation of meat knowledge

Subproject in the joint project: The reification of the living: Meat as a cultural asset In cooperation with the University of Regensburg, the Landscape Museum Westerwald, the German Cookbook Museum Dortmund and the University of Applied Sciences Fulda, funded by the BMBF (2018-2021). The joint project “Verdinglichung des Lebendigen” (Reification of the Living) deals with…

January 2017
April 2020

Broadening horizons – Changing perspectives

Development of strategies to promote the transfer of scientific research results to areas far from conurbations In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Center for Responsible Research and Innovation at the IAO, the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, the HU Berlin – Cooperation Sciences – Economics of Rural Cooperatives as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Scientific-Technical…

January 2016
January 2020

Realizing Impact – Radical innovations Follow-up Project

In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Center for Responsible Research and Innovation at the IAO and the Institute for Forensic Medicine Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, funded by the BMBF (2016-2019). The aim of the project is to develop measures, methods and tools to promote the emergence of radical innovations in the interaction between the various actors…

January 2017
December 2019

Repara(kul)tur – Everyday worldly realisation and social dissemination of repair and DIY practices

In cooperation with the Zentrum Technik und Gesellschaft (ZTG), BUND Berlin, Verbund Offener Werkstätten, BUND-Repair-Café, Hei – Haus der Eigenarbeit, FabLab Fabulous St.Pauli, Stiftungsgemeinschaft anstiftung & ertomis; funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (2017-2019) The joint project investigates how and whether the quality and consumption consciousness of consumers changes when a “culture…

January 2018
December 2019

Participation in the Future Earth* working group “Transformation corridors for sustainable consumption”

Current consumption patterns in industrialized countries are seen as a significant driver of global sustainability problems. As SDG 12, sustainable consumption is a specific development goal of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030. The working group “Transformation Corridors for Sustainable Consumption” deals with development and design options for future consumption patterns against the background of the…

January 2015
January 2016

Radical innovation

The research project faces a semantic and methodical task: Semantically, it requires the development of criteria for evaluating the radicality of ideas by which the existing and the new can be clearly distinguished (sub-project 1). At the same time, it is necessary to develop a methodology for generating ideas that meet these requirements and thus…

November 2015
November 2015

Scientific night café on the future city Magdeburg

Social innovations such as car sharing, upcycling, file sharing, do-it-yourself platforms or urban gardening are also messengers of sustainable consumption. How do such ideas come about? Dr. René John discussed Urban Gardening Magdeburg with the citizens of Magdeburg together with Ralf Weigt, Spielwagen e.V.

June 2012
November 2013

Sustainable consumption through social innovation – concepts and practice

The research project will be carried out at the Institute for Social Innovation from 1 June 2012 to 30 November 2013. The aim is to tap into the potential of social innovations for the environmental promotion of sustainable consumption. The project focuses on the development of a typology of social innovations and a practice-oriented guideline…

July 2012
October 2013

Social innovations in the social transformation process

The project “Social innovations and beneficial forms of governance in the social transformation process” was launched at the beginning of July 2012. The aim is to further systematize knowledge about social innovations and, based on this, to develop suitable, novel governance strategies to promote social innovations. The project follows an explorative approach. The systematization and…

September 2012
February 2013

Expert Workshop Nature Awareness

In September 2012, the project “Expert Workshop Nature Awareness” was launched. The aim of the project is a comprehensive scientific reflection on the concepts and results of the two nature awareness studies conducted to date by BMU and BfN and the formulation of recommendations for their further development. The project focuses on a two-day expert…

January 2012
January 2013

Representative survey on environmental awareness and environmental behaviour in 2012 including social science analyses

On behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Environment Agency The survey on the state of environmental awareness and behaviour, which has been conducted every two years since 1996, is currently being planned and carried out by ISInova. Besides assessments of environmental problems and information on…

January 2012
December 2012

Trainee|Academy

Trainee|Academy From 2012 ISInova has developed the trainee academy for Heckert GmbH, Chemnitz. In the trainings of the apprentice academy, essential social and methodical competences for a successful start into the training and the work at Heckert are imparted in addition to the vocational training. The training program for apprentices and students includes an apprentice…

January 2011
June 2011

Expertise: Innovative strength of local sustainability commitments in education, culture and business

The expertise was prepared within the framework of the project “Rio 20plus on site”, carried out by the IZT (Berlin) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt. It aims to provide empirically operational variables for monitoring the innovativeness of local and regional sustainability…

February 2011
February 2011

Expert workshop: Social innovations in the social transformation process towards sustainable development

The expert workshop will take place on 28 February 2011 in Frankfurt am Main at the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), Hamburger Allee 45. The aim is to discuss relevant scientific approaches to the role of social innovations in the upcoming social transformation process towards sustainable development. Key questions are: How are social innovations in…

January 2010
December 2010

Transformation of leadership guidelines – on the way to a new leadership culture

Explicit leadership guidelines should provide a binding orientation framework for the actions of managers in organisations such as companies. They are intended to ensure that the acting actors, in the sense of a common leadership model, make leadership actions more “predictable” for the organization on the one hand and sanctionable in case of misconduct on…

June 2010
June 2010

Authors’ workshop: Indicators of the New. Innovation as Social Technology or Social Methodology?

The workshop took place on 24 and 25 June 2010 in Berlin. The discussion of the contributions was reflected in a summary position paper. CONTRIBUTIONS: SOCIAL METHODIZATION OF THE NEW – CLIMATE CHANGE, SUSTAINABILITY AND EDUCATION – ANDREA PRONZINI (LUZERN), CRISTINA BESIO (BIELEFELD/BERLIN), ROBERT SCHMIDT (BERLIN): Promise of innovation. The example of the political discourse…

November 2008
November 2008

ISInova Workshop: Indicators of Innovation – Innovation as Indicator

The workshop took place on November 7, 2008, at Freie Universität Berlin in the Silberlaube. As in the previous year, the aim of the workshop was to discuss existing concepts and the possibility of developing effective indicators Further information can be found in the CfP: CfP_WS_Innoindikatoren_Berlin (approx. 16 KB) (German) Contact: Inka Bormann (inka.bormann@isinova.org)

June 2008
June 2008

Workshop: BDS-Workshop Innovation

The Stuttgart regional group of the Professional Association of German Sociologists (BDS), with the active participation of ISInova, organized another workshop last September, which again dealt with the concept of innovation and the practical problems associated with it. Report on the workshop PDF-Download (ca. 96 KB) (German) Contact: René John (rene.john@isinova.org)

December 2007
December 2007

ISInova participation in the INST-Conference: KCTOS: Knowledge, Creativity and Transformation of Societies

From 6 to 9 December 2007 in Vienna. Jens Aderhold heads the section entitled “Elites as Orientators or as ‘Social Parasites’? On the socio-cultural significance of elite action in social transformation processes”. more about this … Contact: Jens Aderlold (jens.aderhold@isinova.org) René John contributes to the section “Communication of innovations! Innovation of Communication?” more about it…

November 2007
November 2007

ISInova Workshop: Determinants of Innovation – Indicators, Assessments and Concepts

The workshop took place on 2 November 2007 at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute for Sociology, Emil-Abderhalden-Strasse 7. The aim of the workshop was to assess existing concepts and the possibility of developing effective indicators Further information can be found in the programme: Programme_WS_Innoindicators (approx. 836 KB) (German) Contact: Jens Aderhold (jens.aderhold@isinova.org)

August 2007
August 2007

Review: about the ISInova supported theatre project “Wer stört lebt” after Tankred Dorst

ISInova presented the ensemble KONACTSCHEN on 9 and 10 August 2007 at the theaterforum kreuzberg (Theaterforum Kreuzberg) with the play “Wer stört lebt” after Tankred Dorst. Here is a review by Eckhard Priller (Berlin). Further information can be found here: Life disturbance (ca. 83 KB) (German) Meeting (approx. 162 KB) (German) Contact: Mareike Alscher (mareikealscher@gmx.de)

January 2006
March 2007

Study: Employee satisfaction study at a German vehicle developer

ISInova, together with the professorship for innovation research and sustainable resource management of the Chemnitz University of Technology, is conducting an employee satisfaction study at a developer in the automotive industry. The study takes place simultaneously at ten locations throughout Germany. The implementation of the study is online based as well as paper/pencil questionnaires for…

October 2006
October 2006

The Nature of Society – 33rd Congress of the German Sociological Association

Jana Rückert-John will participate in the 33rd Congress in Kassel (33rd DGS Congress) with a contribution to the session of the section “Sociology and Ecology”. Contact: Jana Rückert-John (jana.rueckert-john@isinova.org)

January 2005
March 2006

Evaluation and quality assurance within the research project: Learning Networks Bremen

Until spring 2006, a quality assurance of results in the sub-project “Language” is to be carried out within the framework of the university research project using various methods. In the process, the actors involved will also be qualified. Further tasks are the formation of networks and support in the development of a marketable product. Contact:…

December 2005
December 2005

Section “Dominant innovation discourses between social relevance and ignorance” at the conference “Innovations and Reproductions in Cultures and Societies (IRICS)”

Program Texts that have been published in TRANS 16: – Kendra Birken (Frankfurt Main): Innovation as a way of thinking (To view the text: www.inst.at/trans/16Nr/07_2/briken16.htm) – Astrid Ziegler (Düsseldorf): Promoting technology and innovation from an employment policy perspective (Text: www.inst.at/trans/16Nr/07_2/ziegler16.htm) – Ralf Wetzel and Tino Vordank (Chemnitz): Limits to sustainability – Jana Rückert-John (Hohenheim): Sustainability…

January 2003
December 2003

New theatre different

Against the background of the current position of theatre in society under the keyword “repoliticisation”, these efforts will be examined using the prominent example of the Berlin “Schaubühne”. The central question is directed towards the necessary constraints of innovation in the artistic and organisational field of the theatre as its own place of possibility. The…

January 2003
September 2003

Evaluation of the training program of the Mediation Center in Frankfurt (Oder)

ISInova has been evaluating the Mediation Center in Frankfurt (Oder) since 2003. The Mediation Center is a XENOS project, which has been financed by the EU since 2001 and will expire next year. The project has set itself the task of strengthening and promoting tolerant coexistence in the border region on the Oder, which is…

March 2003
August 2003

Evaluation of the CDG programme “Coastman”

Since March 03 ISInova has been conducting an evaluation of the COASTMAN program on behalf of InWEnt (Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gemeinnützige GmbH). COASTMAN is concerned with the development and networking of regional training capacities for integrated coastal zone management in Southeast Asia and the Andean region. The evaluation focuses on the achievement of the…

March 2002
October 2002

“academixer” audience survey in spring 2002

In early summer, the well-known Leipzig cabaret “academixer” conducted its first audience survey. The cabaret was supported by ISInova in the execution of the survey as well as in the evaluation. Information about the cabaret can be found at www.academixer.com. The results were presented in October 2002 and a further survey is planned for 2003….

February 2001
November 2001

Benchmarking complaint handling

The aim of the benchmarking was to compare the processing of complaints within the industry with regard to maximizing customer loyalty while minimizing costs and abuse. The background of the benchmarking study was the question to what extent effective complaint management increases customer loyalty and which key success factors have to be considered. Information was…