From all electric air taxis to bioprinted medical technology and new possibilities for AI-based human-machine interaction

New topic briefs from horizon scanning provide a concise overview of the opportunities and risks of new technologies and concepts, and stimulate future research and innovation

In the second half of 2024, 18 topic outlines were generated in the continuous search cycle of horizon scanning. After extensive discussion in the TAB team, the following topics were selected on the basis of their relevance in the social discourse and with regard to potential legislative action requirements:

• Air taxis – manned, all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircrafts. (Update 2024)
• Integrated urban heating and cooling
• Technological approaches to long-term data storage
• Bioprinting for medical applications
• Large Action Models – new AI-based ways of interacting with digital technologies

The topic briefs (full PDF file in German only) offer approx. 10 pages of concise information on current scientific-technical trends and socio-economic developments in the early stage. They conclude with suggestions for possible in-depth processing and contain a detailed list of sources.for possible further work and include a detailed list of sources. In addition, the topic briefs provide impetus for the TAB topic identification process of parliamentary groups and committees and can be used as a source of information for day-to-day parliamentary work.

Horizon scanning has been carried out at TAB since 2014. All 78 topic briefs published so far can be found here.

13.03.2025