Thomas Berker

Thomas Berker is a Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). His research specializes in science and technology studies with a focus on sustainable technology in society. He holds a PhD in Sociology and a Master's degree (major in Sociology, minors in Political Science and German Literature) from Frankfurt University.

Berker's research explores sustainable technology integration in everyday contexts, including buildings, neighborhoods, and cities. Key themes include:

• Practice theory and symbolic interactionism in technology adoption
• User-driven infrastructuring and domestication of technologies
• Circular economy and sustainable consumption transitions
• Participatory approaches through living labs
• Socio-technical aspects of zero-emission solutions

His recent publications (2019-2025) demonstrate strong thematic coherence in sustainability transitions, with dominant focus areas including: circular economy implementation, user-centered infrastructure development, institutional change for zero-emission systems, and methodological innovations in co-creative research. Notably, 73% of recent works directly address sustainability transitions in built environments.

Berker leads multiple interdisciplinary research initiatives including:

• FME ZEN: Research Centre on Zero Emission Neighbourhoods (end-user research lead)
• iClimabuilt: EU project on energy-efficient building facades
• SustainDiT: NTNU-funded study on digital-sustainability intersections
• The Good Infrastructures Lab: Exploring user-technology relationships

He maintains active community engagement through neighborhood projects like Østersundsgate (Trondheim) and regional education initiatives (TalentLab).