The development of innovative technologies that combine decontamination processes and the extraction of raw materials from deposited residues can give rise to areas of conflict with various stakeholder groups. The accompanying research addresses potential conflict situations and develops methods and approaches to counter them.

To this end, the accompanying research analyzes technology-induced conflicts and possible potentials on two levels. These are (1) the social perception of technology projects (science-society interaction) and (2) the approvability of innovative future technologies in the context of the diverse legal framework (science-authority interaction). Various sites of the former ore mining and metallurgy industry in the Ore Mountains are characterized as ideal development sites (“real laboratories”) for innovative technologies.

With the developed “method construction kit”, recomine actors and official decision makers are being provided with tools and solution concepts for forms of interaction between science, authorities and society. The long-term goal of this project is to identify and address conflicts at an early stage and to involve social actors in the development processes of innovative technologies. The long-term goal of the project is to identify and address conflicts at an early stage and to involve social stakeholders in the development processes of innovative technologies.

Project update: The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ) and SAXONIA Standortentwicklungs- und -verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH organized results workshops in July and August 2022 with the aim of presenting the research results and developing them further in a participatory manner. On August 31, 2022, 15 participants from science, business and civil society discussed questions about the structure and content of the method toolkit. A summary of the discussions can be found here. The revised method kit was published as an online resource in early 2023.