Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) was founded in 2011 as the first research institute in Germany to focus on the development of the internet from a societal perspective, rather than a purely technical one.
Our aim is to better understand the digitalization of all areas of life and, based on this understanding, to develop concepts on how digitalization processes can be shaped in the interest of a sustainable, inclusive, and future-oriented society. Especially in times of fundamental societal, economic, and technological transformation, some of the institutions that form the foundation of our free, democratic coexistence are reaching the limits of their capacity for change. We research such dysfunctional mindsets, patterns of action, or explanatory models and develop concepts that address this transformation. We do not believe that technology is an unchangeable “force of nature,” but rather that it can and should be actively and future-oriented shaped through well-founded knowledge, societal participation, and a normative framework.