Science as Part of a Negotiation Process
Freiburg, 03/06/2026
In the following interview, Prof. Dr. Thomas Stieglitz from the Department of Microsystems Engineering – IMTEK speaks about science and social responsibility. He will give a lecture on this topic on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, at 6 p.m. at the Uniseum Freiburg.
What responsibilities do researchers have today?
For me, decisions are always linked to responsibility for one’s own actions. When I do something, it has an impact on the field of research in which I work. It will quite probably influence and shape the people I work with, just as the work of other researchers influences and shapes me. As I see it, freedom and social responsibility always belong together.
Where does the freedom of researchers end, and where does social responsibility begin?
Freedom is not freedom from something but freedom for something I choose. These choices are bound up in a social context that presupposes normative action. I conduct technical research on so-called brain-computer interfaces. Given the nature of this research, I feel a sense of responsibility to communicate this topic clearly in public, to point out possibilities and limits and to prevent or dispel any false hopes.
“Freedom is not freedom from something but freedom for something I choose. These choices are bound up in a social context that presupposes normative action.“
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Stieglitz
Professor for biomedical technology, Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK), University of Freiburg
What role does science communication play in this context?
I view science communication as an important and necessary criterion for every leadership figure. The more complex things become, the more important it is to communicate expert knowledge to the ‘other’ scientific disciplines and the general public in a way that everyone can understand. Only when knowledge is communicated clearly can social processes and norms for behaviour be established. If we lack knowledge in the field of neurotechnology, we may be all too quick to believe tech billionaires when they promise us we can achieve immortality by uploading our minds to the global cloud.
“Only when knowledge is communicated clearly can social processes and norms for behaviour be established. If we lack knowledge in the field of neurotechnology, we may be all too quick to believe tech billionaires when they promise us we can achieve immortality by uploading our minds to the global cloud.“
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Stieglitz
Professor for biomedical technology, Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK), University of Freiburg
Your thesis is that science should be understood as part of a social negotiation process.
What do you mean by that, exactly?
When it is presented effectively, specialist knowledge aids in making strategic policy decisions that can be converted into industrial value creation. Innovation, as the application of research, is a task that requires the involvement of both the scientific community and society. Researchers can play an active role here, stimulating and advancing decision-making processes towards policy and societal decisions. That’s what I mean by social negotiation process.
And how, in your view, is it possible to design a system that has a strategic pillar – that is, research bound to a specific purpose – while also providing a protected space for free research?
The research promotion system, with the German Research Foundation (DFG) supporting methodological and basic research and the federal ministries funding applied research with a predefined purpose, consists of two pillars that complement each other well. These national funding instruments are complemented by EU funding for both fundamental questions and thematic programmes at various stages of technological maturity. Furthermore, foundations provide funding for research projects in various disciplines, extending the scope of support. I consider the system to be good, but there is not enough money in it, so many applications cannot be approved.
To what extent is it worthwhile to look beyond our borders?
When it comes to strategic decisions, it is certainly worthwhile to look abroad. China has enshrined the development of brain-computer interfaces in its five-year plan as a national strategic goal and has made great progress over the past two years. A comparison with the electric vehicle sector that has emerged there is useful. In Denmark, major foundations have focused on neuroscience, leading to such significant progress in research in this field that the findings can now be put to good use in providing healthcare for the country’s own population. In my opinion, we in Germany should address such strategic orientations more frequently and more actively.
Further Information
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Stieglitz studied electrical engineering in Braunschweig und Karlsruhe. He established the research area of neuroprosthetics at the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering in St. Ingbert/Saar from 1993 to 2004. He completed his doctorate in 1998 and his habilitation in 2002 at Saarland University. He has served as professor for biomedical technology at the University of Freiburg’s Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) since 2004. Stieglitz is a member of the team of spokespersons for BrainLinks-BrainTools. He teaches and researches in the field of neurotechnological implants.