Research Professorship in Sustainability Oriented Innovation and Transformation Management (NIT)

The Nuremberg Campus of Technology (NCT) is a research institution run by the Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm (the Ohm) in cooperation with the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). The NCT’s Technology, business, and society section is represented here on the part of the Ohm by the research professorship in Sustainability Oriented Innovation and Transformation Management (NCT-NIT), held by Prof. Frank Ebinger.

Prof. Ebinger and his team are, firstly, investigating the mostly complex societal and social processes involved in the introduction of new technologies, institutional regulations, and organisational approaches as a prerequisite for the success of sustainable transformation. The question here is how to create the right environment for sustainability-oriented innovations, while at the same time increasing social acceptance of the dissemination of technological solutions. Secondly, the team is researching how social innovations and initiatives for sustainable development that come from within society itself can be strengthened and supported. This research focuses particularly on civil society organisations and grass-roots movements, which are characterised by a variety of socio-ecological initiatives and objectives, and which thus practise forms of sustainable transformation in everyday life.

The professorship addresses the research questions of development, diffusion and adaptation of sustainability innovations and transformations with the aid of methods from qualitative research and an action research approach. The team is particularly interested in the conceptual bridge between technologically innovative solutions, social and ecological requirements and necessities, and economic rationalities. This way, social transformation processes can be supported on both a theoretical and practical level.

The NCT-NIT team

Our interdisciplinary research team comprises a professor, two research associates, and an assistant. Through the Mittelstands-Digital Zentrum Franken, an additional team lead, 5 research associates, and student assistants complement the team. In addition, Ethiopian doctoral students join us each year for six months and are supervised by Professor Ebinger within the framework of their DAAD-sponsored scholarships.

More information about the team

Current projects

One part of Professor Ebinger’s team is currently researching transparency in value chains in companies and the sustainability potential of digital solutions. In addition, questions of growth in relation to negative socio-ecological consequences represent an area of research which deals particularly with organisational implications and approaches to change.

More information about our projects

The research range of the NCT-NIT is based on the following 4 specialisations: