Ulrich Dolata

Ulrich Dolata is a Professor of Organizational and Innovation Sociology at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Stuttgart, where he has been serving since October 2009. He heads the Department of Organizational and Innovation Sociology (Sowi VI) and served as Managing Director of the Institute for Social Sciences from 2011 to 2021. His academic career includes previous positions as Research Affiliate and Senior Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, and as a scientist at artec - Research Center for Sustainability at the University of Bremen from 1998 to 2007.

Professor Dolata's research centers on the Sociology of Technology, Organizational Sociology, and the Political Economy of Digitalization. He has developed influential theoretical frameworks for understanding sociotechnical change, particularly his theory of the transformative capacity of new technologies. His work examines how digital platforms reconfigure economic sectors, with special focus on market coordination, production structures, and innovation processes in the internet age. He has pioneered sociological perspectives on platform companies as a new organizational form that integrates market, production, and innovation functions.

Analysis of Professor Dolata's extensive publication record (spanning from 2003 to 2025) reveals a consistent trajectory of theoretical development in technology sociology. His early work established frameworks for understanding technological innovations and sectoral change, which evolved into detailed examinations of internet platforms and their societal implications. His recent scholarship demonstrates increasing focus on platform regulation, platform architectures, and the political economy of digitalization, often in collaboration with Jan-Felix Schrape. His publications appear in leading sociology and innovation studies journals, reflecting his significant contributions to these fields.

Professor Dolata has held prominent academic leadership positions, including board membership and spokesperson role for the Section for Science and Technology Research of the German Sociological Association (2007-2018), co-editorship of "Science, Technology & Innovation Studies" (2011-2014), and membership on the Advisory Board of the Sociology of Science and Technology Network (SST-Net) of the European Sociological Association. He currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of 'TAT u P - Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis' and the jury for the journal prize of Vereins der Freunde und Ehemaligen des Max-Planck-Instituts für Gesellschaftsforschung.

His teaching includes the MA Seminar "Economic Sociology of the Internet" and thesis colloquia, where he guides students through theoretical and empirical explorations of digital economy and platform society. Professor Dolata's academic influence extends through his extensive publications, editorial work, and leadership in professional associations, making him a significant figure in contemporary sociology of technology and digital transformation studies.