The interdisciplinary discourse The sponsorship concept of the Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz Foundation

Abstract

The future development of industrial society depends crucially on reliable predictions being made about the complex interaction between man, the environment, and technology. Technology assessment and forecasting rely heavily on the knowledge acquired from such disparate fields as technology and the natural sciences, political science, economics, psychology, and medicine. Consequently, interdisciplinary studies are required to address problems of assessment and prediction. True interdisciplinary approaches, however, remain more of an aspiration than a part of practical reality. This can be attributed both to the institutional conditions obtaining in scientific work and to the intellectual borders, perhaps walls, that exist between the disciplines. The Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz Foundation is committed to overcoming the barriers that exist between disciplines and to providing a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration to promote better understanding of the interaction between man, the environment, and technology. Special instruments have been developed to meet these demands. A discourse process has been inaugurated, the 'Laden burger Diskurs', in which topics for intense scientific enquiry are defined. The resulting studies are carried out on an interdisciplinary basis in a 'Ladenburger Kolleg', a collaboration involving scientists from very diverse backgrounds. Looking back over 10 years of experience, the basic concept has proven successful. The scientific results obtained have influenced a variety of fields ranging from environmental law to urban planning. The foundation with its centre in Ladenburg provides a forum where scientists of all kinds can meet in seclusion to work together without any intellectual or institutional constraints.