The Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BAdW) is restructuring: on 1 April 2026, Sabine Pfeiffer will take over as Chair of the bidt’s Board of Directors from Alexander Pretschner.
The sociologist has been a member of the bidt’s Board of Directors since 2023 and conducts research in particular on the interplay between people, technology and organisation, as well as on the effects of digital transformation on society. She currently leads two research projects at the bidt that focus on the digital world of work, collaboration and the acceptance of technology.
Researchp rojects
Sabine Pfeiffer has been researching the digital transformation of work for many years. Following her academic work at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISF Munich) and professorships at Munich University of Applied Sciences and the University of Hohenheim, she has held the Chair of Sociology with a focus on technology, work and society at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg since 2018.
Digital transformation means more than just new technologies; it is an ongoing process of social transformation. Within just a few years, the bidt has developed into a scientific research and competence centre that supports business, society and politics not only in better understanding the challenges of this digital transformation, but also in overcoming them and proactively shaping them on this basis. On behalf of the entire bidt, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Alexander Pretschner for this! I look forward to further strengthening this work in my new role and helping to shape the digital transformation responsibly.
Prof. Dr. Sabine Pfeiffer To the profile
With the establishment of the Munich Center for Internet Research in 2015 and the founding of the bidt in 2019, Alexander Pretschner, Professor of Software & Systems Engineering at the Technical University of Munich, has played a decisive role in shaping the institute’s development over the past ten years in a leadership position through his vision and great commitment, and will remain associated with it in the future as a member of the Board of Directors.
We have succeeded in establishing the institute as a distinguished, interdisciplinary institution for research into digital transformation. What sets us apart is that at bidt, we do not conduct research in an ‘ivory tower’ – our research findings are not limited to the academic community, but are generated with and for practitioners in business, civil society and politics, discussed with them and translated into practical solutions. With the handover of the chairmanship to Sabine Pfeiffer, I know that the bidt is in excellent hands. I am convinced that she will continue the successful development of the bidt and further strengthen it with new impetus.
Prof. Dr. Alexander Pretschner To the profile
Further personnel changes are taking place as part of the handover of the chairmanship of the Board of Directors: Two newly created positions have been filled by Nicole Wloka (Policy, Strategy and Cooperation Unit) and PD Dr Angela Graf (Research Unit), who will support the institute’s management. Dr Stephan Jäger took over the administrative management of the bidt on 1 January 2026.
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