Uli Meyer

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Uli Meyer is a prominent sociologist specializing in innovation, digitalization, and organizational studies. He currently serves as University Professor and Head of the Department of Sociology with a focus on Innovation and Digitalization (SID) at the Institute of Sociology, Johannes Kepler University Linz. His academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions including Technical University of Berlin, Munich Center for Technology in Society, and Ruhr University Bochum.

Professor Meyer completed his doctorate in Sociology at Technical University of Berlin with the dissertation "Innovation Paths: Evolution and Institutionalization of Complex Technology." His interdisciplinary background in sociology, computer science, and economics informs his unique approach to studying technology-society relations.

His research focuses on the social dimensions of digital transformation, particularly examining how organizations make sense of and implement technologies like Industrie 4.0. Professor Meyer investigates the interplay between technological innovation and social change, with particular attention to work organization, organizational dynamics, and the social construction of technological futures. His approach integrates theoretical perspectives from organizational sociology, institutional theory, and science and technology studies to understand how digitalization reshapes work practices, organizational structures, and societal relations.

Professor Meyer's recent publications (2019-2024) demonstrate a consistent focus on organizational recombination processes, sensemaking around technological futures, and the everyday practices of digitalization. His work reveals how organizations navigate complexity and uncertainty in the digital age through creative adaptation rather than wholesale transformation.

• Organizational recombination and social change
• Sensemaking processes around technological futures
• Digital transformation of work practices
• Power dynamics in innovation ecosystems
• Methodological approaches to studying digitalization

Throughout his career, Professor Meyer has secured research funding for projects examining digitalization and innovation. His leadership roles, including heading the Department of Sociology with a focus on Innovation and Digitalization at JKU Linz and directing the Post-Doc Lab Reorganizing Industries at TU Munich, demonstrate his standing in the field. He has collaborated with scholars across Europe on projects related to innovation society and technological transformation, contributing to both theoretical advances and practical understanding of how organizations navigate digital change.