Dr Dirk Thomas

The person

Dr Dirk Thomas has been Research Director for Mobility and Urbanity at the IZT since May 2020.

Before joining the IZT, he worked as a research assistant at the Institute for Design Research (IDF) at the Braunschweig University of Fine Arts (HBK) from September 2018 to April 2020. His work focused on the systematic development of scenario-based future projections using social science and design research approaches in the field of aerospace.

Previously, he worked as a research assistant at the Institute for Transportation Design (ITD) at the HBK Braunschweig from March 2014 to August 2018. As part of the accompanying socio-scientific research, he dealt with displacement and climate effects through pedelec use in individual transport as well as new product and service approaches for electromobility in different living and working contexts.

From October 2008 to April 2020, he also worked as a freelancer in the field of market and social research for various universities, municipalities and companies in the areas of mobility, urban development and housing, education, and energy and the environment.

From 2002 to 2008, he worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Psychology at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, where he completed his doctorate in February 2009 in the intersection of urban sociology and environmental psychology.

He studied at the Technical University of Braunschweig from 1996 to 2002, majoring in sociology and minoring in political science and law.

Expertise

• Mobility, Energy, Infrastructure, City
• Social innovation
• Social science surveys and analysis
• Scenario processes and studies
• Future studies and foresight projects