Ulrich Ufer

Dr. Ulrich Ufer is a senior researcher at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He leads the research group “Sociotechnical Futures and Policies,” serves as Editorial Director of the journal TATuP – Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice, and is a member of the editorial board of NOvation – Critical Studies of Innovation.

Education

• 2002 Bachelor of Arts (History), University of Cambridge
• 2003 Diplôme d’études approfondies (Social anthropology and ethnology), École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris
• 2007 Master of Arts, University of Cambridge
• 2007 Doctor of Philosophy (Social and Historical Anthropology), École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris (co-tutelle with University of Stuttgart)
• 2024 Habilitation, Venia Legendi “Technology Assessment”, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Research Interests

Ulrich Ufer’s work lies at the intersection of anthropology, technology assessment, and urban studies. He investigates long-term socio-technical transformations of cities, focusing on how cultural practices, political economies, and technological infrastructures co-evolve. His current research emphasizes smart cities, urban resilience, microgrid systems, and the anthropology of innovation.

Research Output & Trends

Since 2012 he has published extensively on urban transformation, risk governance, and innovation cultures. Recent articles in Nature Sustainability and Risk Analysis highlight his empirical and theoretical contributions to debates on sustainable urban energy systems and systemic risks in smart-city governance. His scholarship integrates ethnographic detail with systems analysis, producing policy-relevant insights for technology assessment.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships

• Cambridge European Trust Fellow
• Baden-Württemberg Fellow
• Gerda Henkel Foundation Doctoral Fellowship
• DAAD Long-Term Lecturer (Université de Montréal, 2009–2014)
• DAAD Visiting Scientist Scholarship (ITAS/KIT, 2014–2015)

Advising & Grants

Between 2016 and 2017 he served as Scientific Coordinator and Head of the Trinational Graduate Academy SERIOR (Security-Risk-Orientation) at the University of Koblenz-Landau, supervising interdisciplinary doctoral researchers across Germany, France, and Luxembourg.

Laboratories & Research Groups

He currently heads the “Sociotechnical Futures and Policies” research group at ITAS, leading projects that combine ethnographic fieldwork, scenario development, and participatory technology assessment to shape sustainable urban futures.