What are the skills needed in policy advice today?

From 18 to 20 November in Berlin, experts in the field of technology assessment will discuss how advice can be made transparent, independent and efficient in times of AI and social upheaval.
NTA-11-Konferenz-Logo mit Silouhette Brandenburger Tor und Berliner Dom. Jubiläum 20 Jahre NTA
TAB experts will also be present with a number of contributions to the topics of the German-speaking TA conference.

The political landscape is shaking, the earth is reaching the limits of its resources: people in many places are facing upheavals today. What do decision-makers need most in this situation? And what skills do advisory bodies need to deal with uncertainty, crises and growing complexity, and to develop science-based options for a more sustainable future?

These questions are the focus of the 11th conference of the Network for Technology Assessment (NTA), which brings together researchers and institutions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Alena Buyx, medical ethicist and former chair of the German Ethics Council, will open the conference at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The conference marks the 20th anniversary of the network.

TAB experts present

TAB will also be represented at the anniversary conference with various contributions.

  • Armin Grunwald will introduce the conference topic "Policy advice in times of multiple crises".
  • Pauline Riousset, who was also a member of the conference's scientific advisory board, and Christoph Kehl will moderate several sessions, including on the challenges of artificial intelligence for policy advice and how AI is changing policy advice itself.
  • Christine Milchram, Steffen Albrecht, Christoph Kehl and Pauline Riousset invite you to an exchange of experiences and a critical reflection on the use of generative AI in policy advice.
  • On the topic of new tools for parliamentary policy advice, Christoph Kehl, Michaela Evers-Wölk and André Uhl will present TAB's expanded foresight activities, which aim to develop viable resilience strategies for critical infrastructure systems in times of polycrises.
  • In the concluding panel discussion on the issue of quality assurance in TA policy advice, the expertise of Armin Grunwald and Arnold Sauter from the perspective of the TAB direction as well as that of Michael Nentwich, Director of ITA, will again be in demand.

The network meeting is organised by the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) of the KIT Karlsruhe in cooperation with the Austrian ITA as well as the Fraunhofer ISI, the IQIB-Bad Neuenahr and TA-Swiss.

Further information and program

  • 11th Conference of the Network Technology Assessment (NTA). Policy advice competencies today. TA in times of polycrisis and technological change. Conference website: https: //www.itas.kit.edu/nta-11