Colourful, Courageous and Community-building: Reflections from the organizer of the 2nd Nordic STS Conference

- Reflections from the organizer of the 2nd Nordic STS Conference

Abstract
The 2nd Nordic STS conference, held in Copenhagen 2015, was an occassion to take stock of the current trends and developments of Nordic STS. In this paper, the leading organizer reflects on the event and characterises contemporary Nordic STS as colourful (spanning a wide range of perspectives and empirical topics), courageous (critical, reflexive but also willing to take on collaborative roles), and community building (sharing commitment to a number of topics and issues). Speculating on future developments, he suggests that Nordic STS will be receive impetus for change and transformation from at least four sources: (1) The steady stream of new controversial scientific and technological developments. (2) The increasing commitment to gather interdisciplinary collaboration and research funding around grand societal challenges. (3) Methodological developments wihin STS. (4) The increasing number of collaborative roles that STS, as a mature discipline, will be invited to take up.