International Conference „Transformation of Infrastructure Systems“

The interdisciplinary Research Training Group KRITIS invites researchers and practitioners to its second international conference in November 2021.

2021/10/13

At first glance, infrastructures appear to be solid, stable and immovable. But is that really the case? Research in recent years has shown the opposite: Infrastructures are dynamic and malleable, characterized by continuous development, interruptions, breakdowns as well as reconstruction, and repair.

The dynamic and changing nature of infrastructure systems is one of the central themes of the Research Training Group KRITIS. Our aim is to describe, understand, and explain transformation processes of infrastructures. Therefore, the second international conference will also be centred around the transformation of infrastructure systems: What triggers these transformations, under what conditions do they take place, and what consequences do they have?

The aim of the conference is to analyse transformations of infrastructure systems from different perspectives. These perspectives are represented by four subtopics “Cultures of Transformation”, “Governance”, “Temporality and Spatiality”, and “Safe Transformation”.

Therefore, we call for presentations dealing with questions such as:

What constitutes transformation? How long does it take, how comprehensive is it, what framework conditions does it require, and when is it considered complete?

What is the relationship between transformation, incremental change, and persistence?

Which elements of infrastructure systems are dynamically changing, and which resist change?

What effects do transformations have on infrastructures? Does a transformation result in a new infrastructure or an “old” infrastructure – but transformed, or even both at the same time?

Our two-day, interdisciplinary online conference calls for contributions from various academic disciplines and practitioners alike. In addition, we are also happy to receive suggestions for topics that go beyond the above-mentioned questions and reveal new perspectives on transformations.

Confirmed Keynotes by:

Timothy Moss (Humboldt University of Berlin)

Anique Hommels (Maastricht University)

Niklas Vespermann (German Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway)

The conference will be held online and in English. There are no conference fees

Accepted applicants will be informed within six weeks after deadline

Learn more about the conference, the subtopics and how to submit in our conference website.