Speaker
Description
Innovation Communities (ICs) provide a dynamic framework for embedding the energy transition in society, fostering broader engagement and accelerating progress towards climate goals. These communities empower participants by cultivating a sense of collective efficacy, trust in collaboration and community, and by creating networks and activating different resources (knowledge, know-how, infrastructure, financial resources...). Building an innovation community for climate action is not only about technological progress, but also about cultivating a sense of agency among participants. Through shared experiences of transformation, individuals and organisations become more aware of their ability to contribute to sustainability goals. The participatory nature of such a community ensures that solutions emerge from a wide range of perspectives, fostering trust and long-term commitment. In addition, an IC supports the well-being of its members by creating an environment where collaboration leads to tangible change, reinforcing the idea that democratic processes can drive effective climate action. A key challenge is to strike a balance between providing support structures and encouraging individual responsibility and creativity. Addressing this balance is essential to unleashing the full potential of innovation communities in advancing inclusive and sustainable energy transitions.
This presentation is based on the project "Strengthening and Consolidation of Innovation Communities to Implement the Recommendations of the Climate Citizens' Council of the Freiburg Region". (Innovation Campus Sustainability ICN) The project facilitates and accompanies cooperation between civil society, science, politics and business to promote an inclusive energy transition. The initiative came from civil society within the framework of the Climate Citizens' Council of the Freiburg Region:
- How can the energy transition be made more inclusive and actively shaped by a broader segment of society?
- What can innovation communities contribute to the implementation of a sustainable energy transition?
- How can these communities enhance the social sustainability of cities in terms of democracy, community and participation?
As part of a Seed Money project, the primary research focus is on exploratory process analysis. This includes
- Identifying potential opportunities and barriers in the development of an IC.
- Analysing key factors that influence the effectiveness of the community in achieving climate goals.
- Examining the self-efficacy and well-being of participants, particularly in the context of the energy transition.
By systematically exploring these issues, the project aims to provide a basis for future large-scale IC initiatives that integrate climate action with democratic transformation.
The presentation will introduce the idea and background of Innovation Communities, the project design and the main results of the accompanying scientific research.
References
Bögel, P. M., Trenks, H., Upham, P., Sauter, H., Albiez, M., Stelzer, V., Laborgne, P. (2023). Diversifying power in action: A socio-psychological approach to inclusive energy transition experiments. Energy Research and Social Science, 100, Art.-Nr.: 103070. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2023.103070.
Stelzer, V. (2021). Transformation von Städten durch die Energiewende. Transforming cites, (2), 58–63.
Van Hippel, E. (2005). Democratizing Innovation. MIT Press.
https://www.buergerrat-regionfreiburg.de/
https://www.itas.kit.edu/english/projects_labo24_icnic.php
| Keywords | Innovation communities; urban energy transition; agency |
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