New 'Change!' Projects Use Research to Shape Change

Our society is facing major changes. Cities must deal better with the consequences of climate change, citizen engagement must be strengthened, and new technologies should support rather than hinder coexistence. Research can provide important impetus for these challenges, especially when science and practice work closely together.

This is precisely where the Volkswagen Foundation's 'Change! Fellowships' funding initiative comes in. It supports scientists from all disciplines who work together with partners outside academia on processes of social change. The aim is not only to describe change, but to actively shape it.

Funding for eight transdisciplinary projects

In the second round of funding for the Change! Fellowships, the Foundation is providing a total of €14.4 million for eight new projects. The teams work in a transdisciplinary manner: researchers from the social sciences, economics, law, cultural studies and technology cooperate with practitioners. Together, they develop new perspectives and solutions for key questions about the future. The newly funded projects are presented below:

Smart technology for vibrant cities: redesigning social interaction in urban spaces

Smart technologies such as sensors, robots and digital assistance systems are changing the way we move around cities and communicate with each other. A team of scientists, artists and technicians wants to develop prototypes to be tested in public spaces. A 'talking' bench, for example, could encourage strangers to strike up a conversation, or a robot could serve as a neutral mediator in conflict situations. The researchers want to use artistic actions and installations to test how technology can promote social interaction. The end result will be a toolbox for urban planners and local authorities that shows how smart technology can be used to make public spaces more inclusive and vibrant.

Project: ENACT – Exploring New Assemblies of Communities & Smart Technologies in Urban Spaces (Dr Judith Dörrenbächer, University of Siegen; Alice Ferl, "Forum Freies Theater", Düsseldorf; approx. £1.7 million)

AI and data analysis: Measuring the social impact of NGOs

Civil society organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are under pressure: funding is becoming scarcer, and they have to demonstrate the impact of their work with increasing precision. But how do you measure the impact of nature conservation projects or social initiatives? A team of computer scientists, social scientists and WWF staff are developing a system that helps NGOs to better track their impact – even in cases where the effects are difficult to measure, such as social change. To do this, the team is using interviews, surveys and AI-supported data analysis. In case studies in Cambodia and Brazil, it is testing how NGOs can make their work more transparent and expand successful approaches. The end result will be an open AI platform, a guide and training materials.

Project: Data-Driven Transformative Impact: Reshaping Innovation in NGOs for Social Change (Prof. Dr. Orestis Papakyriakopoulos, Technical University of Munich; Anne Merkle, World Wildlife Fund Switzerland, Zurich; approx. 1.6 million euros)

Making coastal cities sustainable: reconnecting nature conservation and urban development

Rising sea levels, shrinking habitats and growing settlement pressure – coastal cities face enormous challenges. But how can nature conservation and urban development be designed in such a way that both people and nature benefit equally? An international research team will develop innovative conservation concepts for three European coastal cities in Bulgaria, Spain and Albania and investigate how they can work in practice. The focus is on the principle of 'convivial conservation': instead of creating rigid protected areas, residents, artists and local actors will work together to develop solutions that preserve ecosystems while improving quality of life. Through 'urban living labs,' the team is testing new approaches – from participatory urban planning to creative uses for coastal areas. The results will be incorporated into recommendations for policy and practice, including a handbook for sustainable coastal development. The aim is to create models that can also be transferred to other regions.

Project: Convivial Waterfronts: Reimagining urban coastal conservation for just sustainability transformations (Dr Anna Antonova, Technical University of Munich; Diyana Kostovska, Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria; Juan Martín Bermúdez, Fund for the Stewardship and Recovery of the Salt Marsh, Cádiz, Spain; Xherri Xhemal, Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania, Tirana, Albania; approx. €1.9 million)

Digital justice of the future: user-friendly, constitutional, federal

How can the digitisation of the justice system be designed in such a way that it preserves constitutional values and at the same time becomes more user-friendly at the interfaces between different systems and actors involved in the justice system? A team of legal scholars and practitioners will work with citizens, judges and administrative staff to develop digital solutions for the judiciary. Ten design sprints will produce prototypes for three areas: legal guidelines for federal implementation, digital tools to strengthen judicial independence, and accessible interfaces for citizens. The results will be compiled in a dynamic white paper, a prototype library and an ideas database – and disseminated via the E-Justice Council (a committee for the digitisation of the justice system) and partnerships with judicial associations.

Project: Future(s) of Justice (Prof. Dr Christian Djeffal, Technical University of Munich; Sina Doerr, Legal Tech Verband Deutschland e. V., Berlin; approx. 1.7 million euros)

Climate protection in old age: sustainable income for senior citizens in Vietnam

In many countries in the Global South, the proportion of the elderly population is increasing – but their role in climate protection is often overlooked. A research team will investigate how older people in Vietnam can secure their livelihoods, improve their health and combat climate change through sustainable sources of income. In 72 intergenerational initiatives, the team will test climate-friendly projects such as community gardens and recycling projects. It will use surveys, interviews and scientific evaluations to analyse how these approaches affect income, health and carbon footprints. The results will be incorporated into concrete policy recommendations for the Vietnamese government – for example, on promoting senior citizens as actors of sustainability. In addition to specialist publications, blog posts, educational videos and a project website will be created to make the findings publicly available.

Project: BAMBOOST – Introducing bamboo farming and biochar production in Vietnam's Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs to boost climate change mitigation, economic inclusion and health in an ageing society (Dr Manuela Fritz, Technical University of Munich; Thang Nguyen Duc, Thanh Hoa Association of the Elderly, Than Hoa City, Vietnam; Thuy Tran Bich, Vietnam Organisation for Better Ageing, Hanoi, Vietnam; approx. 1.9 million euros)

Green jobs in transition: where ecological transformation creates jobs

The phase-out of fossil fuels is creating new jobs – but not all regions and industries are benefiting equally. In this research project, a European research team aims to develop a real-time monitoring tool that uses AI and LinkedIn data from over 170,000 cleantech companies to show where green jobs are being created and what qualifications are in demand. In case studies in Bavaria and northern Scotland, the researchers will work with a training institute and a film production company to analyse how labour markets are changing. By incorporating documentary films about affected workers, for example, they also want to highlight the human dimension of the transition. The results will be incorporated into a publicly accessible dashboard, regional policy recommendations and scientific publications to support companies and authorities in shaping change in a socially acceptable manner.

Project: Jobs in the ecological transition: Global, regional and community level opportunities for the workforce (JET-GROW) (Prof. Dr Florian Egli, Technical University of Munich; Simon Schmid, SkillLab BV, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Dr Avril Thomson, National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, Renfrewshire; approx. 1.6 million euros)

City, water, AI: Creative visions of the future for sustainable urbanity

Artificial intelligence doesn't just predict the future, it shapes which futures we're able to imagine at all.  These imaginaries tend to look strikingly similar: efficient, data-driven, disconnected from the communities and places they're meant to serve. How can AI be used differently to shape the city of the future? A team of scientists, artists and planners is exploring exactly this, taking water as their starting point. Water is the most tangible face of the climate crisis: present in every flood, every drought, and in the deep social inequalities that shape who bears the consequences.

Working with civic actors and climate scientists, the team develops AI that draws on data and lived experience alike, generating diverse visions of urban water futures that go beyond what conventional models can reach. The findings don't stay in the lab: through artworks, open tools and direct exchange with decision-makers, the project connects imagination with the governance processes that shape how cities actually adapt.

Project: Currents of Imagination. Co-Creating Urban Water Futures Through AI, Art, and Transdisciplinary Collaboration (Prof. Dr Hilke Marit Berger, University of Hamburg; Tina Lorenz, Centre for Art and Media, Karlsruhe; approx. 1.9 million euros)

All details about the 'Change! Fellowships' funding initiative.