---
res:
  bibo_abstract:
  - "Inter- and transdisciplinary research are new demands in Higher Education. Aiming
    to enhance the social relevance, usability and sustainability of technological
    products and solutions, society and public institutions such as research funding
    organizations increasingly expect engineers to include inter- and transdisciplinary
    approaches into the development of new technologies. Engineering research and
    education, however, are particularly challenging areas to realize inter- and transdisciplinary
    collaborations, for manifold reasons.\r\nThis contribution presents methods and
    results of an inter- and transdisciplinary research and education strategy designed
    to meet the particular requirements of engineers and engineering students. It
    starts with a brief discussion of typical challenges regarding inter- and transdisciplinary
    approaches in engineering (research topics, research culture, skills, time, and
    barriers of lay people to involve in technology development). Secondly, it presents
    the methods developed to overcome those challenges within the context of the NRW
    Fortschrittskolleg \"Light - Efficient - Mobile\" (FK LEM). Founded in 2014, the
    FK LEM is a PhD programm focuses on lightweight construction, but with a special
    emphasis on how lightweight technologies are connected to different areas of society,
    to societal actors and technology users, and to the needs of a diversity of social
    groups. In order to explore these connections, we organized three workshops to
    bring public service, civil society, industry, practitioners and engineers together
    to discuss the perceived needs in those areas, and the potential of lightweight
    solutions. Topically, the workshops were dedicated to the fields of Rescue & Security
    Services; Care, Mobility & Assisted Living; and Sustainable Ressources & Climate
    Protection. Methodologically, we applied a pragmatic but valid approach to focus
    groups and discourse analysis. Results of the workshops in terms of directions
    for future research, epistemological and ethical dimensions of lightweight engineering
    are presented in the third part of our contribution. Finally, we discuss how our
    method and experience can be transferred into other engineering and educational
    contexts. With other words, how empowering students, engineers and the public
    to involve in inter- and transdisciplinary engineering processes can be achieved,
    and how this empowerment supports the development of innovative technologies as
    well as engineers’ skills to design technology in line with societies’ needs and
    challenges.@eng"
  bibo_authorlist:
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Ilona
      foaf_name: Horwath, Ilona
      foaf_surname: Horwath
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Silvia
      foaf_name: Dohmeier-Fischer, Silvia
      foaf_surname: Dohmeier-Fischer
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Nathalie
      foaf_name: Weiß-Borkowski, Nathalie
      foaf_surname: Weiß-Borkowski
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Thomas
      foaf_name: Tröster, Thomas
      foaf_surname: Tröster
  bibo_doi: 10.21125/inted.2018.1651
  dct_date: 2018^xs_gYear
  dct_language: eng
  dct_subject:
  - Lightweight Design
  - Interdisciplinarity
  - Transdisciplinarity
  - Higher Education
  - Research Methods
  dct_title: 'FROM EMPOWERMENT TO INNOVATION: INTER- AND TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
    METHODS IN LIGHTWEIGHT ENGINEERING@'
...