Technology and Society Lab
The Technology and Society Lab (TSL) aims at creating and transferring knowledge to support the transition to a more sustainable society. It does so by
- analysing novel materials and emerging technology applications with a focus on associated material and
energy stocks and flows, - evaluating them with regard to both natural environment and societal constraints, and
- providing guidance for the implementation of more sustainable materials, technologies and sociotechnical
systems.
Within TSL, four research groups contribute to reach the goals of the Lab:
- The Advancing Life Cycle Assessment (ALCA) group further develops the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to better support early phases of technology development and to address environmental and societal implications of novel material and emerging technology applications.
- The Critical Materials and Resource Efficiency (CARE) group addresses the implications of novel material and emerging technology applications on society's material metabolism with a particular focus on closing material cycles.
- The Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (ERAM) group models, evaluates and experimentally investigates the interactions of novel materials with the environment.
- The Informatics and Sustainability Research (ISR) group develops computational models, algorithm-based methodologies and information systems to support the assessment of emerging technology applications.
Dr. Patrick Wäger
Head of Laboratory
Empa
Technology & Society Laboratory
Lerchenfeldstrasse 5
CH-9014 St. Gallen