Designing long-term systemic transformation frameworks for regions – Accelerating the shift towards climate neutrality

Projektinformationen

TRANSFORMER

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 101069934

DOI

10.3030/101069934

Projekt abgeschlossen

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 19 Mai 2022

Startdatum 1 September 2022

Enddatum 31 August 2024

Finanziert unter

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Gesamtkosten

€ 2 299 937,50

EU-Beitrag

€ 2 299 937,50

Koordiniert durch

RUHR-UNIVERSITAET BOCHUM
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TRANSFORMER (Designing long-term systemic transformation frameworks for regions – Accelerating the shift towards climate neutrality)

Berichtszeitraum: 2023-09-01 bis 2024-08-31

Zusammenfassung vom Kontext und den Gesamtzielen des Projekts

Climate change is a paramount challenge of our time, necessitating an urgent and fundamental transformation of the EU's economy to meet the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. The challenge lies in achieving a carbon-neutral economy within a tight time frame. To attain net-zero emissions by 2050, we must go beyond fostering innovation in isolated niches and design carbon-neutral societal systems. This entails investing in zero-carbon solutions, aligning with recommendations in the "Final report of the High-Level Panel of the European Decarbonisation Pathways Initiative 2018."

Our project, TRANSFORMER, addresses this challenge by developing and implementing the Transition Super-Lab (TSL) approach. A Transition Super Lab is an ecosystem of actors organized to accelerate the transformation towards climate neutrality through innovation, digitalization and cross-sectorial synergies on a regional scale. It benefits from collaborative governance, operates in accordance with systemic transformation principles and utilizes transition-enabling methods and tools in order to create added value to cross-sectorial initiatives for economic transformation and to provide feasible solutions to complex regional transformation challenges.
TSL approach adapts and applies enriched living lab methodologies in order to develop (co-create) together with all transition relevant stakeholders from the quadruple helix and society a vision for a regional transformation and a portfolio of large-scale systemic solutions for climate neutrality, net-zero emissions and resilient future. The systemic transformation within TSL catalyzes large and diverse communities to innovate for systemic changes that accelerate transition at scale.

What sets TRANSFORMER apart is its focus on transforming multiple socio-technical regimes concurrently (e.g. transportation, industrial production and agriculture) on a regional scale. A socio-technical regime can be conceptualized as the dominant institutional logic of a socio-technical system. The socio-technical regime can be interpreted as the result of an interplay between actors, technologies and institutions in a system (Fuenfschilling & Binz 2018: 736). Our project concentrates on systemic innovation at the intersection of these regimes, engaging actors from different sectors. We believe that regions offer a promising scale for fostering systemic innovation, acting as focal points where various sections of socio-technical regimes converge. By transforming more than one societal system simultaneously at the regional level, we aim to unlock synergistic and cross-fertilization forces that accelerate the transition to zero emissions across Europe.

TRANSFORMER, a coordination and support action, accelerates the TSL scale-up in four European regions and also facilitates matchmaking processes to ensure the adoption of innovative solutions on a larger scale.

Arbeit, die ab Beginn des Projekts bis zum Ende des durch den Bericht erfassten Berichtszeitraums geleistet wurde, und die wichtigsten bis dahin erzielten Ergebnisse

We have successfully developed and defined the concept of Transition Super-Labs (TSL) and its core elements. This includes creating the Quantitative Regional Assessment Framework for Transition Super-Labs (QRAFT) and producing the Assessment Framework for Transition Super-Labs, which supports continuous self-assessment of the regional-scale TSL approach. In the four regions implementing the TSL concept, we built stakeholder coalitions, developed TSL visions, defined TSL pilot use cases, developed action plans, and in some cases, conducted feasibility studies. The User Forum activities with the TRANSFORMER follower regions were successfully launched, and the follower regions developed their replication plans based on these activities.

We developed the final version of the Roadmap blueprint, outlining strategic steps for scaling up TSL initiatives. The Toolkit was expanded and finalized with practical resources and best practices to support future TSL implementations. The Knowledge Hub was set up and launched to align and present all project results in an integrated and user-friendly format for the development of TSLs.

Fortschritte, die über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinausgehen und voraussichtliche potenzielle Auswirkungen (einschließlich der bis dato erzielten sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen und weiter gefassten gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Projekts)

While our primary focus remains on project implementation and methodology, it's crucial to underscore that the TRANSFORMER project has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of green European transition. Our unique emphasis on regions as Transition Super-Labs and our interdisciplinary approach rooted in sustainability transition studies are poised to contribute innovative solutions for decarbonization. By assessing transition needs and potentials using the QRAFT framework and conducting case studies, we aim to provide valuable insights into the role of regions in achieving the Green European Transition. In the future, regions wishing to implement the TSL methodology will be able to use the Roadmap blueprint, the knowledge hub and the toolkit to develop their own TSL.

Long-term implementation, realization, execution, and experimentation of pilot use cases, which are not addressed within TRANSFORMER, are crucial for driving the continued adoption and success of TSLs. However, by conducting research and analysis and preparing the groundwork for future projects and initiatives, we can help demonstrate the full potential of TSLs. Our assessments, data collection, and methodology development are essential steps towards informing future research and demonstration efforts. These insights can serve as a foundation for more additional pilot use cases (portfolio approach) to enable the simultaneous transformation of multiple socio-technical regimes and practical demonstrations, paving the way for the broader adoption and success of the TSL approach in the future. Moreover, our research and analysis will provide evidence and insights that can be instrumental in shaping future projects, policies, and strategies related to decarbonization and the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

Visual representation of the TSL Concept

Visual representation of the TRANSFORMER Roadmap

Visual representation of the Knowledge Hub Composition