The Cluster TransforM began its activities in January 2026. It brings together a strong network of partners including the Technical University of Munich, the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research (ifo), the Munich School of Politics and Public Policy (HfP), and the Leibniz Center for European Economic Research (ZEW). The Cluster’s research spans multiple disciplines, including economics, science and technology studies (STS), sociology, ethics, management studies, and political science, public policy, and governance studies.
TransforM tackles the dual challenge of advancing fundamental social science for technologised societies and rethinking technology development through a social science lens head on. Our goal is to augment current theories and methods to comprehensively understand and help shape transformative technology to better serve diverse societal needs. Better knowledge about why, when, and how technologies become socially transformative will enhance our ability to assess and inform transformation pathways ‘all the way through’ – from the early stages of their emergence to their wider socio-economic impact.
(Planned) Support Activities for Postdocs
Development and Seed Grants | Junior Research Groups | Placement Support | Scholarly Retreats
Recruiting
Open positions are listed on the cluster’s job page.
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