Elna Schirrmeister

Research Fellow

Elna Schirrmeister studied industrial engineering and worked in a chemical company after graduating before joining Fraunhofer in 1999. Her research focused on the further development of methods such as bibliometrics, scenario development, visioning, Delphi surveys and future dialogs to reflect cognitive biases and address complex future issues. She has led various foresight processes to support the strategic development of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and has been in charge of the Corporate Strategy department at Fraunhofer headquarters since 2024.

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Work focus
Scenarios

Roadmaps

Analysis of current trends in production technology

Development of future prospects for industrial production in the form of future hypotheses

Development of quantitative and qualitative evaluation

Partially automated environmental scanning

Perception filters and biases in the context of future dialogues
Projects
Needs assessment of the future of SMEs digital

China Scenarios für Xi Jinping's third term

Asylum Scenarios 2032

Future Analysis BWI 20X0

Future Economy Baden-Württemberg

Tech-Trends Münsterland

A Delphi survey on the topic "Futures of language learning"

HYPAT - Global H2 Potential Atlas

Scenarios for the Commission on the Future of Agriculture

Made in China 2025 - What China's industrial policy means for the German economy

Realtime Delphi survey on the future of African-European relations

WIRtschaften 2040 - Wachstum, Wohlstand und Teilhabe (WEconomy 2040 - Growth, Welfare and Inclusion)

Participatory regional dialogs for the further development of the Federal Government's High-Tech Strategy (HTS)

BioKompass

Fraunhofer Foresight

Konzeption und Durchführung eines Szenario-Prozesses für die Bertelsmann Stiftung: Szenarien und Strategien für Deutschland (China 2030)

Future Business im VDMA

INCOBRA – Increasing International STI Cooperation between Brazil and the European Union

PROGRESS – Priorities for Addressing Opportunities and Gaps of Industrial Biotechnology for an efficient use of funding resources

Scenarios on social cohesion in Germany

Fraunhofer EU Scenarios 2025

Risk2Return – Development and test of a method for generation and identification of High-Risk-High-Return research projects in the material field, contracted by Fraunhofer Materials and Components Group 10/2009–03/2011

Potentials of Nanoelectronics in Germany, contracted by BMBF, 03/2010–12/2010

Wind tunnel technology roadmap and analysis of the innovation within the field, contracted by DNW German-Dutch Wind Tunnels, 04/2009–06/2010

VDW Frühaufklärung

INFU – Innovation Futures in Europe: A Foresight Exercise on Emerging Patterns of Innovation

FVA-Antriebstechnik 2010 – Implementation of the industry roadmap workshop, design, conducting and evaluation of the survey of members

BMBF Foresight Process, BMBF (9/2007–7/2009)

Service Chain – Participation in acquiring/contacting the companies involved, preparing the outline, conducting numerous workshops

Scenarios project for an automobile supplier

Fuel cell scenarios NRW

Industrial project for an automobile manufacturer – Best practice, management of process innovations

Informan – Secondary analysis of the future of production in Germany

Futman – Future of Manufacturing: qualitative scenarios with international partners from the EU

RIF: Research and Innovation Futures 2030: From explorative to transformative scenarios (European Commission, 2011–2013)
Publications (selection)
Hüsing, B.; Kimpeler, S.; Schirrmeister, E.; Voglhuber-Slavinsky, A. (2022): Szenarien für die dialogorientierte Kommunikation von und über nachhaltige Bioökonomie mit Jugendlichen. In: Reinermann, J.; J. Kamlage, J.; de Vries, N.; Goerke, U.; Oertel, B.; und Schrey, S. (Hg.): Zukünfte nachhaltiger Bioökonomie. Kommunikation und Partizipation in neuen Wirtschaftsformen. 1. Auflage. Bielefeld: Transcript (Neue Ökologie, Band 5), S. 201–216.

Rosa, A.; Kimpeler, S.; Schirrmeister, E.; Warnke, P. (2021): Participatory foresight and reflexive innovation: Setting policy goals and developing strategies in a bottom-up, mission-oriented, sustainable way, journal article in European Journal of Futures Research 9 (2021), Art. 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40309-021-00171-6

Wydra, S.; Hüsing, B.; Köhler, J.; Schwarz, A.; Schirrmeister, E.; Voglhuber-Slavinsky, A. (2021): Transition to the bioeconomy - Analysis and scenarios for selected niches, journal article in Journal of cleaner production 294 (2021), Art. 126092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126092

Schirrmeister, E.; Göring, A.; Warnke, P. (2020): Psychological biases and heuristics in the context of foresight and scenario processes, journal article in Futures & foresight science 2 (2020), Art e31. https://doi.org/10.1002/ffo2.31

Wydra, S.; Daimer, S.; Hüsing, B.; Köhler, J.; Schwarz, A.; Voglhuber-Slavinsky, A.; Heyen, N..; Lindner, R.; Schirrmeister, E.; Seus, S. (2020): Transformationspfade zur Bioökonomie: Zukunftsszenarien und politische Gestaltung, report Fraunhofer ISI.

Schirrmeister, E.; Horvat, D.; Lerch, C.; Schätter, F.; Bartsch, B.; Laudien, A. (2020): Was Chinas Industriepolitik für die deutsche Wirtschaft bedeutet: Szenarien für "Made in China 2025" am Beispiel des deutschen Maschinenbaus, study Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Schirrmeister, E.; Meissner, L.; Gutknecht, R.; Göhring, A. (2019): Analyse organisationsspezifischer Biases im Kontext von Innovationsmanagement und Foresight, conference contribution Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften e.V.

Ganz, W.; Hermann, S.; Ardilio, A.; Keicher, L.; Schletz, A.; Schirrmeister, E.; Meissner, S.; Maloca, S.; Moller, B.; Jovanovic, M.; Schulte, A.; Grüne, M.; Bantes, R.; Welz, J.; Riemer, A.; Döbel, I.; Schirrmeister, E.; Reimoser, Cornelia ; Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V. -FhG-, München; Fraunhofer-Institut für Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation -IAO-, Stuttgart; Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung -ISI-, Karlsruhe; Fraunhofer-Institut für Naturwissenschaftlich-Technische Trendanalysen -INT-, Euskirchen; Fraunhofer-Zentrum für Internationales Management und Wissensökonomie -IMW-, Leipzig (2019): Foresight Fraunhofer: Future topics with relevance to application-oriented research, study Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

VDMA Future Business (Hg.) Unter Mitarbeit von E. Maiser, B. Moller, A. Voglhuber-Slavinsky, E. Schirrmeister (2019): Trendradar für Maschinen- und Anlagenbau.

Warnke, P.; Schirrmeister, E. (2018): Transition-Scenarios towards socially sustainable global value chains: Insights from the SONA WSK Foresight, report Fraunhofer ISI.

VDMA Future Business (Hg.) (2018): Autonomisierte Supply Chain 2030. Zukunftsbilder für den Maschinen- und Anlagebau. Band 4. Frankfurt am Main.

Wydra, S.; Hüsing, B.; Rosa, A.; Schirrmeister, E. (2017): Progress – Priorities for Addressing Opportunities and Gaps of Industrial Biotechnology for an efficient use of funding resources. Deliverable D 4.2. Workshop Report – Elaboration of an overarching vision.

Heyn, H. M.; Gottwald, F.; Schirrmeister, E.; Maloca, S. (2017): Global Future Survey. 1/2017: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Zusammenarbeit mit Fraunhofer ISI, report Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

VDMA Future Business (Hg.) (2017): Power-to-X 2030. Zukunftsbilder für den Maschinen- und Anlagenbau. Band 3. Frankfurt am Main.

VDMA Future Business (Hg.) (2017): Zukunftswerkstoffe 2030. Zukunftsbilder für den Maschinen- und Anlagenbau. Band 2. Unter Mitarbeit von E. Maiser, B. Moller, R. B. Wehrspohn und E. Schirrmeister. Frankfurt am Main.

VDMA Future Business (Hg.) (2016): Machine Learning 2030. Zukunftsbilder für den Maschinen- und Anlagenbau. Band 1. Frankfurt am Main. Unter Mitarbeit von E. Maiser, E. Schirrmeister, B. Moller, C. Bauckhage.

Erdmann, L.; Schirrmeister, E. (2016): Constructing transformative scenarios for research and innovation futures, journal article in Foresight 18 (3), S. 238–252. https://doi.org/10.1108/FS-06-2014-0041

Gabriel, J.; Warnke, P.; Schirrmeister, E.; Dönitz, E. (2016): Qualitative Szenarien als Tool des organisationalen Lernens, essay in Strategische Vorausschau und Politikberatung: Beiträge und Diskussionsergebnis eines UBA-Fachgesprächs.

Bartsch, B. unter Mitarbeit von E. Schirrmeister, E.; Warnke, P.; Shala, E.; Dönitz, E.; Laudien, A.S.;, Hmaidi, A. und Hedemann, P.; Hg. v. Bertelsmann Stiftung. Gütersloh. (2016): China 2030. Szenarien und Strategien für Deutschland, report Bertelsmann Stiftung.
Publications (comprehensive list)

Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. Elna Schirrmeister

Research Fellow

Work focus

Projects

Publications (selection)

Publications (comprehensive list)

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