Öko-Institut e.V. (oeko.de)

Editorial

A farewell and a fresh start

Editorial by Michael Sailer, CEO, Oeko-Institut

As you know, the Oeko-Institut is hardly a newcomer to the field of independent environmental research. We recently celebrated our 40th anniversary, and yet in some ways, we are still regarded as a start-up – a place for thinking about new ideas, with radical yet always well-reasoned proposals for a sustainable future, dynamic and unencumbered by inflexible structures. It helps that we are constantly bringing in new talent to complement the wealth of skills and experience of our existing staff. We have a strong contingent of dedicated young professionals on our team. And of course, there is also the occasional retirement. A major change is afoot at the most senior level of the Oeko-Institut: on 1 July, we will be saying goodbye to Executive Board member Rainer Griesshammer, who has been associated with the Oeko-Institut since the early 1980s and has done so much, over these…

A farewell and a fresh start

In Focus

Transdisciplinary research in theory and practice – between a rock and a hard place?

Guest article by Professor Martina Schäfer

In the early 2000s, transdisciplinary research was very much a niche phenomenon and was being trialled solely in fields such as socioecological research. Today, it is increasingly integrated into mainstream research programmes and initiatives; this is clear from many of the funding priorities set by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the international Future Earth initiative. This trend is based on the recognition that solutions to the major… more

Transdisciplinary research in theory and practice – between a rock and a hard place?

Knowledge and science

Information for a sustainable society

Knowledge is the basis of our work at the Oeko-Institut. Our researchers share their expertise, work on an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary basis and thus develop knowledge across the traditional divides between research fields. Ensuring that the knowledge gained is of practical relevance to everyday life is also important. The methodological bases and associated challenges have undoubtedly changed and evolved over the decades. However, there has been one constant ever… more

Knowledge and science

Alternatives and facts instead of fake news

Interview with Professor Rainer Griesshammer

He has an insider’s knowledge of the Oeko-Institut from his diverse roles in gathering and sharing information – both as an outspoken rebel scientist and as the “go to” person for policy-makers and business. After 37 years with the Oeko-Institut, many of them as a member of the Executive Board, Professor Rainer Griesshammer will be retiring in summer 2018. He talks to eco@work about past and present challenges facing science, new approaches to generating knowledge, and the… more

Alternatives and facts instead of fake news