Transdisciplinary research

Many current research questions arise in the context of societal challenges – such as climate change, healthcare systems, urban development or digitalisation – and are highly complex.

Transdisciplinary research goes beyond interdisciplinary research by also involving stakeholders from the professional world, politics, business and civil society right from the outset.

Knowledge is therefore not merely applied, but developed collaboratively across disciplinary and organisational boundaries.

Why is this important for research?

Many funding programmes today expect social impact, knowledge transfer and co-creation. Transdisciplinary approaches help to formulate relevant research questions and develop results that are compatible with other fields and can be put into practice.

In short: the future takes shape where knowledge is shared. In other words, where scientific excellence has a positive impact on society through transdisciplinarity.