Who we are
The Centre for Emancipatory Technology Research (CET) was established in 2018 as an alliance of arts and social science scholars in Germany. The founding of ZET was driven by the ambition to introduce fresh perspectives into the ongoing debates on technology and digitalisation within both academic circles and the public discourse. As a consortium of scholars from various disciplines, we initiate lectures, publications, and events. In pursuit of our aims, we also collaborate with a range of stakeholders and institutions.
What we do
We regard technology as a pivotal political field of our time. Digital technology, in particular, increasingly permeates various aspects of our lives. While it inspires hopes for new possibilities in global communication, it simultaneously evokes fears concerning the emergence of new, pervasive forms of control and exploitation. These technologies can have diverse effects. As researchers in the field of technology, our primary task is to illuminate the political substance inherent in decisions regarding the design and utilisation of technology. By doing so, we aim to ensure that these decisions become subjects of democratic negotiation, rather than being dictated by supposed imperatives or vested interests.
We believe that the mission of emancipatory technology research is neither to indiscriminately reject technological progress nor to merely facilitate its acceptance. Consequently, we critique the current narrow focus of debates over technological development, which often centres solely on competitiveness. Simultaneously, by contemplating potential utopias of socio-ecological technology usage, we seek to uncover emancipatory potential. Thus, we actively engage in societal discussions on technology policy and offer concrete advice to stakeholders, whether they be in corporate governance or civil society.
Across all these areas, we adopt a broad understanding of emancipation as the dismantling of societal structures of oppression and the promotion of socially and environmentally sustainable co-existence. Through our activities, we aspire to contribute to such an emancipatory transformation.