Andreas Bischof

Dr. Andreas Bischof is Deputy Group Leader at the Research Group "Miteinander" and leads the junior professorship "Sociology with a focus on Technology" at Technische Universität Chemnitz. His interdisciplinary work bridges sociology, human-computer interaction, and science and technology studies, with a focus on participatory design and socio-gerontechnology.

Education:

• Dr. phil., Technische Universität Chemnitz, 2016 – Dissertation: "How do Social Robots become social?"
• M.A. in Cultural Sciences, Universität Leipzig, 2012
• B.A. in Cultural Sciences, Universität Leipzig, 2009

His research centers on the social implications of technology, particularly in aging societies and care contexts. He investigates how social robots emerge in laboratories and how participatory methods like Living Labs and co-design can democratize technology development. His work emphasizes methodological rigor in qualitative research, especially grounded theory and ethnographic approaches.

The recent publications reflect a strong trend in critical STS, human-robot interaction, and participatory innovation. Themes include agency in automation, socio-material practices, ethics in AI and care, and the co-construction of technology and society. His interdisciplinary collaborations span computer science, sociology, design, and gerontology.

Scientific Awards:

• Prize for Outstanding Young Scientists 2017
• Dissertation Prize 2017
• Saxonian Teaching Prize 2016
• Lehrpraxis im Transfer Advancement Award 2016
• DAAD Scholarship 2014
• Scholar of the German National Academic Foundation (2007–2012)

Dr. Bischof has been instrumental in advising and leading interdisciplinary projects, including the BMBF-funded CityLab in Chemnitz and the Network for Integrated Research. He has secured research grants and fosters transdisciplinary collaboration. He mentors early-career researchers and promotes public engagement in science.

He is actively involved in research networks such as the Socio-Gerontechnology Network, the Interdisciplinary Researcher Network for Developing Competencies in Demographic Change, and the Network Empirical Cultural Sociology. He also contributes to academic service as a session and conference chair in major STS and HCI venues.