TAB is an independent scientific organisation that has been advising Parliament and its committees on issues relating to scientific and technological change since 1990. TAB has currently carried out more than 200 projects and published the results in over 400 publications.

Current TA projects are focussing, for example, on near-natural forest conversion and sustainable forest management in times of climate change, with reference to health policy on therapeutic approaches to combating bacterial infections using viruses, so-called bacteriophages, but also on numerous topics that are politically relevant in the course of the digital transformation and thus also for the work of the German Bundestag.

In the context of numerous crises and disruptions, the radar and orientation function of parliamentary TA is becoming increasingly important. The TAB is therefore expanding its foresight activities by adding a resilience radar and an in-depth resilience check to the existing horizon scanning. Since September 2023, the IZT has concentrated its work in the TAB on the resilience radar and is responsible for the resilience check.

The resilience radar is used to identify trends that pose systemic risks and challenges for socio-technical infrastructure systems. Based on the trends, the consequences of systemic risks and potential hazards are assessed for each critical infrastructure system. Based on topics that are actively discussed in society, science and politics, developments are recorded that could have an impact on the functionality and resilience of the respective critical services and infrastructures.

The results of the resilience radar and horizon scanning are summarised in an annual foresight report, on the basis of which a selected infrastructure system is subjected to a resilience check.

The aim of the resilience check is to identify systemic risks and develop viable resilience strategies. In the course of a structured analysis and scenario process, stakeholders from science, business, politics and administration as well as civil society are involved in a cooperative manner. The Resilience Check takes nine months to complete and comprises the following three steps: creating a system picture, scenario development and policy analysis.

The results of the resilience check will be discussed with members of parliament and civil society at a public specialist event ("TA in dialogue") in the German Bundestag and summarised in a resilience dossier.

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