The Chair of Technoscience Studies contributes to science and technology studies from a perspective of technical and environmental philosophy. We focus on the theory, practice, design and maintenance of environments in the modern world. Our primary interest concerns new and emerging technologies. We see ourselves as a forum for open exchange on science- and technology-related issues at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. Our speciality is developing multi-disciplinary perspectives that incorporate know-how from both the natural and the human sciences. 

Our research is focused on the role of technology as a formative agent in social, scientific and artistic practice. Specifically, we examine socio-technical constellations, modes of being and doing, and eco-systemic assemblages along with technoscientific imaginaries, both current and forward-looking. Our approach to the environmental humanities foregrounds the historical conditions of heuristic problem-solving. In particular, we see potentiality as a key factor in the configuration of life forms, which are at once intrinsic and extrinsic. This notion of ‘environment’ pertains to natural, social and technological articulations of immersion. This includes questions about the significance and assessment of technology in the Anthropocene, specific sociotechnical constellations (e.g. hydropower plants and water management, geoengineering and climate control, or artificial landscapes in past and present) as well as eco-technological practices such as urban gardening and restoration ecology.

We contribute to several courses of study, including Environmental and Resource Management, Culture and Technology, World Heritage Studies and cross-disciplinary tuition (‘General Studies’) at BTU. We invite reflection on the increasingly complex interactions between social and technological systems and teach students critically to evaluate the limits and possibilities of technical solutions to sustainable practices, production and process management.