• What we do

Borderstep: Science with impact

An independent not-for-profit research institution, Borderstep

• carries out publicly funded research projects in the areas of the green economy, green innovation, and sustainable entrepreneurship
• prepares market research, technology and other studies for government and civil-society clients, such as in the fields of smart energy applications, green IT, and climate change
• develops innovative systems for analysis, assessment, and monitoring, such as the Green Economy Start-up Monitor
• initiates collaborative projects with innovative businesses, universities, and trade associations
• provides consultancy services to decision-makers in the political and business communities and in civil society
• hosts conferences, workshops, and dialogue events
• supports national and international exchange of knowledge and experiences, such as through best-practice brochures, international study tours, and expert workshops
• provides cutting-edge knowledge free of charge via its website, newsletters, publications, and lectures

Interdisciplinary team

What businesses opportunities does climate change hold in store? What factors determine whether sustainable innovations succeed or fail? How can the housing sector benefit from intelligent technologies? We seek answers to questions like these.

Doing so calls for different perspectives. At Borderstep, experts in business management work with economists, environmental scientists with social scientists, political scientists with engineers. Expert knowledge across various disciplines is a key feature of the Borderstep Institute. Our socio-technical approach is the basis for analyzing transformation and innovation processes and developing strategies so that technical, social, and institutional changes evolve together.

Knowledge creates practical solutions

At the Borderstep Institute we view transdisciplinarity as a principle of integrative research. This approach follows a methodical procedure combining scientific and practical knowledge and addresses problems and their complexity while taking the many and diverse perspectives in sciences and society into account. In our research, we combine theoretical science with knowledge relevant to the particular case in order to develop knowledge for practical solutions oriented toward the common good.