Ulrich Meyer

Ulrich Meyer is a 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. He also serves as the Institute Director and holds an office in the Kepler Building. Previously, he held an Acting Professorship in "Sociology of Digital Work" at Ruhr University Bochum (2018-2019) and led the Post-Doc Lab Reorganizing Industries at the Munich Center for Technology in Society, Technical University of Munich (2015-2019).

Professor Meyer earned his doctorate with the dissertation titled "Innovation Paths" in Sociology and studied sociology, computer science and economics at the Technical University of Berlin. His academic journey includes post-doctoral positions at TU Berlin and research associate roles at both TU Berlin and the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB).

His research focuses on the intersection of digital transformation and social structures, particularly examining how digitalization reshapes work, organizations, and societal institutions. Meyer investigates the complex dynamics of innovation processes, organizational change in the digital age, and the socio-technical aspects of Industry 4.0. His work often employs field-theoretical perspectives to analyze how new technologies are integrated into existing social frameworks and how they potentially transform them. He has made significant contributions to understanding the everyday practices of digitalization projects and the social negotiation of technological futures.

Professor Meyer's recent publications demonstrate consistent scholarly output with a clear trajectory focusing on digital work, organizational recombination, and the social dimensions of technological innovation. His work shows increasing attention to practical implications of digital transformation in workplaces and how these changes affect labor relations and organizational structures.

As an active researcher, Meyer leads multiple funded projects including MENOKI (focusing on AI and work transformation in Upper Austrian companies), sustainable mobility for children and youth, and the Dyslexia Lab. He maintains an extensive network of academic collaborations across European institutions and regularly participates in scholarly conferences where he presents research findings and chairs sessions on innovation and digitalization topics.

Professor Meyer is involved in several research networks and initiatives, including the SOZNET research network and the HBS research project "Who does good work?" His work on the LIFT_C research project examines "The transformative power of cooperation towards sustainable work in automotive production and digital platform services [COOPOWER]." He also leads the Working Group on Social Partnership, demonstrating his commitment to bridging academic research with practical social applications.