
Problem-oriented research on Internet & Society
The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) aims to broaden the theoretical and empirical foundation of internet and society research in order to contribute to a better understanding of digital society.
Throughout the process of digitalisation, societies are undergoing changes. Our conceptual frame of reference for identifying and assessing these societal changes is the relationship between innovation and governance. Tensions and synergies emerging from this relationship can be found across all societal fields and organisations including the state, corporations and markets, from the local to the global level.
To analyse the relationship between innovation and governance, HIIG has developed three long-term research programmes. They form the framework for the research agenda at HIIG. Further research groups, laboratories and projects strengthen this programme-oriented research. Individual research projects are usually part of a programme, group or laboratory. Different research results are presented and discussed as part of science communication projects.

Analysing the relationship between innovation and governance, HIIG has developed three long-term research programmes. They are driven by broad research questions reflecting the institute’s disciplines and provide the framework for the research activities at HIIG:
Larger research groups develop their own thematic focus to strengthen disciplinary competences in individual areas. Our inter- and transdisciplinary research laboratories work at the intersection of academia, industry and civil society. With their research, they contribute to the agenda of the three research programmes:
Science communication projects foster a productive dialogue between academia, politics, industry and civil society:
Individual research projects complement and strengthen our research. They also serve to conduct short-term studies and provide reliable results on current topics.
- All
- AI
- Entrepreneurship & innovation
- Media & data
- Politics & law
- Science & education
- Science engagement
- Society & culture
A media theory of the humanoid robot – Artificial intelligence in Japanese and European interpretations
In this project, the humanoid robots in Japan in particular will be examined with the aim of working out the realities of AI.
Artificial intelligence, explained in human terms
This project uses an interdisciplinary approach to explain models for artificial intelligence (AI) to a broad civil society, to make it explainable, interpretable and comprehensible for all.
Autonomous Weapon Systems
The project investigates how autonomous weapon systems (AWS) are discussed in different concepts of human-machine interaction.
Between Autonomy and Surveillance – Employee-oriented use of people analytics in onsite and remote work
In the research project, we are researching how people and organisations use so-called people analytics applications.
Capacities and competences in dealing with hate speech and hostility towards science (CAPAZ)
This project develops strategies to make the science system more resilient to high publicity negative statements.
Cybersecurity
The project explores the important, both mutually beneficial and conflict-prone relationship between cybersecurity and privacy. It also aims to find common ground for regulating cybersecurity issues.
This project aims to develop a data governance concept that can enable data-driven innovations addressing urban problems.
Data & Society Interface
How can we make data from private and public organisations usable for scientific purposes and for the general good of the society, and still take legal, ethical, economic or organisational challenges into account?
The project aims to develop an analytical research framework that can be used to describe data governance structures in a uniform manner and compare their success factors.
Defining concepts of the digital society
This project seeks to substantiate the conceptual ambition of the research programme The Evolving Digital Society by curating a set of reference articles on key notions and concepts.
Digital Platforms: Alternative Models and Designs
HIIG organises a five-part impulse series on the topic of digital platforms together with the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Upgrade Democracy Team.
Digital Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship
In the “Digital Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship” research project, we investigate entrepreneurial organisations that primarily focus on society – often called social enterprises.
DUCAH @ HIIG
The Digital Urban Center for Aging and Health (DUCAH) is an initiative of the Internet and Society Foundation and the Einstein Center for Digital Future.
INCA – INcrease Corporate political responsibility and Accountability of digital platforms
This project examines the growing corporate power of platform capitalism and its hegemony on several spheres of European society.
HIIG is involved in two of the projects as part of the BMBF funding programme “Making Repositories and AI Systems Usable in Everyday Nursing Care”.
Organizational Resilience and Creativity: Exploring the Future of Educational Technology
How can educational technology be creatively contribute to building resilient universities and equip them to cope with future change?
Platform governance
Platforms have installed themselves as key intermediaries in contemporary societies. They re-organise communication and politics, mobility and travel, work and everyday life. Yet, with this change controversies arise.
Public Interest AI
The “Public Interest AI” research group is developing an operationalisable analysis procedure that will allow Public Interest to be defined in an AI-specific way and tested in technical prototypes.
Publication: Internet Policy Review
The Internet Policy Review is an open access, fast track and peer-reviewed journal on Internet regulation. It tracks public regulatory changes, as well as private policy developments which are likely to have an impact on European societies.
Repository for scientific policy and society advice (REPOD)
Political decisions are increasingly based on empirical research results. The project makes advisory documents specifically searchable and develops quality standards.
Scholar-led Plus: Tailored support for scholar-led publishing
This research project aims to improve the publication situation of scholar-led, non-APC open access gold journals through a consortial support structure.
The project investigates the discourse and developments around AI’s “deep learning revolution” over the ten formative years.
Task Force: Digital Organizing
The task force Digital Organizing is a group of researchers who study the implications of digital practices for the processes of organizing.
Task Force: European Platform Economy
The “Task Force European Platform Economy” is a group of HIIG researchers who study the implications of global platformisation for European actors and institutions.
The Public International Law of the Internet
The research project “The Public International Law of the Internet” at HIIG aims at redefining the relationship between human rights law and the internet.
Women* in Tech
Das Transferprojekt Frauen* im Tech-Sektor erarbeitet intersektionale Fragestellungen zur Gleichberechtigung in der Technologiebranche.
- All
- AI
- Entrepreneurship & innovation
- Media & data
- Politics & law
- Science & education
- Science engagement
- Society & culture