Science, Technology, and Policy Studies (Steps)

Research Group Chair
Stefan Kuhlmann

The Science, Technology and Policy Studies (StePS) research group has a special interest in strategic issues around development in science, technology, innovation and policy. Issues concerning fundamental values in the practice of science and policy implementation, including interaction, are of particular interest. The group makes an important contribution to the realisation of the objectives that bridge the gap between social scientific and technical research at the University of Twente, especially concerning the social and economic fulfilment of fundamental and applied research.

In 2009, an international evaluation committee stated that the research carried out by the STePS has had a major impact on science and technology policy development. In particular, the method developed by the group known as Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA), which offers a platform for normative discussion, has gained worldwide attention. According to the committee, the group is one of the international trend-setters in this field.

StePS carries out fundamental and applied research and is organised around three themes:

1. Science, Innovation, and Policies - developing insights into management processes and policy development
2. Technology, Dynamics and Assessment - analysing the dynamics of technological development and assessing socio-technical change
3. History of Science, Technology and Society - tracing longer-term developments and transformations