About the project
Climate change is the biggest single issue facing the world at the present time. A major step in facing this issue is that there has to be a transition from an emission based system to a low-emitting system. Renewable energy technologies are likely to support new industries and export sectors in years ahead, across many countries. The main question of this project is: How can Norway participate in this process and benefit from it?
Background
There is no systematic research in Norway on transition strategies from a society and economy based on high emissions of climate gases to low emission. In Europe, this is an emerging area of work closely related to technology and innovation studies.
Because Norway is a major energy producer, both in hydrocarbons and renewables, its challenges regarding energy policy are different from other European economies: transition strategies developed in other countries cannot simply be copied. We need a specific path of development adapted to Norway's particular economic and social situation, but framed by global developments.
Sub-projects
- Building TIS (technological innovation system) for renewable energy - knowledge and markets
- The politics of renewable energy transitions: The different worlds of wind and bio-energy in Norway
- Innovation at the local and regional levels
- Policy Arena for transition strategy discussions
Events
Feb. 12, 2015: Seminar: Energy Lessons from the Netherlands
Time and place: Feb. 12, 2015 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Room 648, Eilert Sundts hus
The virtue of innovation systems, analysis for policy makers and other stakeholder in the Energy Transition: Lessons from the Netherlands.
Join the TIK Centre for a two hour seminar with lessons about the Dutch energy transition, from professor Marko Hekkert, University of Utrecht.
Long innovation tradition
Innovation scholars have a long tradition of recognizing the collective and systemic nature of innovation. Since the 1980s this way of thinking has spilled over to the policy domain.
However, the complex and systemic nature of innovation also creates significant challenges for policy makers. How to intervene in these complex systems? Often policy decisions are made based on deeply rooted beliefs or gut feeling rather than proper analysis.
A system functioning focus
In the last eight years a new perspective on analyzing innovation systems has emerged. Scholars highlight that a focus on system functioning may be a valuable addition to focusing on the structure of the innovation system. A significant body of literature has shown that this type of analysis quickly leads to insight in systemic problems that can be a target for policy makers.
Cooperation in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands an experimental project started to use this approach in the design of energy innovation policy and subsequently to monitor the impact of the policy. To make this work, a close collaboration started between innovation system scholars at Utrecht University and policy makers.
Prof. Marko Hekkert is head of Innovation Studies at Utrecht University. The group (35 fte) is part of the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and focuses mainly on studying emerging technologies and societal transition processes.
Jan. 16, 2015: Energy Seminar: New policy practices for a challenge-led, broad-based model of transformative innovation
Time and place: Jan. 16, 2015 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Room 450, Eilert Sundts hus
What are the prospects for transformative innovation in Europe?
The European innovation policy turn
On January 16th, professor Fred Steward (Policy Studies Institute, University of Westminster) visits TIK to give a talk on the implications of the turn in European innovation policy towards societal challenges such as climate change. More specifically, Professor Stewart will link this discussion to the Climate-KIC Transition Cities project.
Room for systemic innovation?
This new challenge-led approach reframes the policy agenda compared to the traditional technology-driven model. It is more attuned to systemic rather than singular innovation, and offers a broader definition of innovation which highlights social, organizational and business novelty. It is argued that this offers a richer and more realistic perspective for the radical pervasive change needed for the transition to a low carbon society.
Transition cities
In this seminar, prospects for transformative innovation are addressed through a focus on the place-based socio-technical networks of mobility, buildings and energy. These are discussed in relation to the Climate-KIC Transition Cities Project involving Frankfurt, Birmingham, Bologna-Modena, Valencia-Castellon, Budapest and Wrocla.
Sep. 22, 2011: RENTRANS kick-off meeting
Time and place: Sep. 22, 2011 2:00 PM – Sep. 23, 2011 3:00 PM, TIK Centre and Holmen Fjordhotell
The Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture (TIK) invites participants and others interested to the kick-off meeting for Renewable energy as transition strategy 22.-23. September.
Programme:
September 22nd: Dinner at Holmen Fjordhotell
September 23rd:
- 0900-0915: Keith Smith (Imperial College, TIK): Welcome and introduction to the themes of RENTRANS
- 0915-0945: Grete Coldevin (Research Counsil of Norway): The RENERGI Program in Norway - an overview of the R&D Portfolio
- 1000-1045: Fred Steward (Policy Studies Institute, London): Approaches to Transition in Political Discourse
- 1045-1130: Rene Kemp (MERIT): Ten themes for eco-innovation policies in Europe
- 1215-1300: Anna Bergek (Linköping): New Inverstors in Renewable Energy in Sweden
- 1300-1345: Marko Hekkert: Systemic versus Actor Perspectives on the Energy Transition
- 1400-1430: Keith Smith: Economics and Policy in Transition Phases
- 1500: Close
