Humanity faces a number of significant challenges, ranging from climate change and inequality, to declining confidence in democratic institutions. Technologies potentially fuel these challenges, including the dominance of internal combustion powered vehicles, Bitcoin's massive energy consumption, and social media accelerating widespread 'fake news'. But at the same time, many people believe technology is the answer: Electric public transportation systems, generating solar power, and change agents advocating social growth and advancement by using social media to have their voices heard.

Technology does not work in a social vacuum; in fact, quite the opposite is true. We understand technologies to be tangible or intangible artifacts at the core of human activities that include manufacturing, providing services, and communications. Technology is deeply embedded in social systems and our norms, values, beliefs, and interests determine how we create and use it. The Chair of Socio-Technical Transitions is focusing on the transformation (i.e. change) associated with - and realted to - technologies.