News

KSI nominated at the Bsik battle

SenterNovem organised the 'Best of Bsik battle' among 37 projects funded in this programme. The aim was to come up with a plan on how to reach a broader public with each knowledge programme. The award for the winner was 10.000 euro to execute their plan.

KSI submitted a proposal comprising a 5 min. video trailer ("Follow the penguin?", by Harry te Riele) and an implementation plan on how to reach school kids. The idea was to invite a few of them into our transition arenas, as they are the future and should be helping envision it! KSI was one of the 3 nominated programmes. On Dec. 7, at the annual Bsik meeting the 3 nominated teams defended their project. Despite the brave defence by Jan Rotmans and Marjan Minnesma dressed in tailcoats, KSI was beaten by BRICKS. Read all about the winning project on the SenterNovem web site.

Healthy transition

As coordinator of the health care transition I started in 2006, with as overall objective to systematically study the persistence of the problems within the health care sector, in particular to analyse the structural, institutional and cultural barriers. To this end a first integrated systems analysis has been performed, indicating the web of interrelated sub systems and the demarcation of their boundaries. Also, a preliminary actor analysis has been carried out, identifying regime and niche players. In terms of action-oriented research, I am very actively working on initiating a new innovation network (transition arena) for the health care sector (starting with the 'care' subsystem).

This has already resulted in the request to KSI to design a plan for investing 50 million Euro in innovative experiments where the transition approach is the starting point for the design, distinguishing between optimisation experiments, innovation experiments and transition experiments in the area of chronic care ('AWBZ').

Sustainable cities: what may Europe learn from Asia?

KSI organises a series of debates on the topic of "Cross-thinking about Sustainability" together with IHDP-IT, Felix Meritis Foundation, Trouw and HIVOS. On March 7 Peter Marcatulio (UNU and University Tokyo) will talk about sustainable cities. In 2007, the world is passing the point where more than half of its population is living in cities. This is often portrayed as a threat to sustainable development. Cities (and particularly cities in the developing world) are seen as dirty, overcrowded and dangerous places, with huge concentrations of consumption and transportation and alienation from nature. While such concerns are not inappropriate, these growing urban places are also the seedbeds of new and innovative solutions. Especially in rapidly developing regions, such as East and Southeast Asia, we are witnessing glimmers of hope for the future.

Read more on the KSI website.

KSI workshop on complexity

Thirty people from all over the world came together in Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands to discuss transitions and transition management from a complexity and co-evolutionary perspective.

A number of key lectures were given by distinguished scientists in their fields, varying from post normal science and the use of simplexity concepts when working with practitioners, to ecosystem resilience and societal tipping points, to autopoiese and sustainability governance as networks of networks. The broad array of notions and concepts were connected to each other to see how they could learn from each other, transcending the disciplines in order to deal with transitions to sustainability.

The papers and discussions of this workshop should ultimately result in a book.

Subprogramme III

On March 27, in Amsterdam, the third research meeting of Sub-programme III will be held. We will start with presentations by three PhD students from different KSI groups: Johanna Ulmanen (TUe); Suzanne van den Bosch (TNO/DRIFT) and Erica ter Haar (UvA). They all contribute to project III.3, and will approach the question how system innovation projects, niche experiments or social experiments may have an influence beyond their own limits in time and space. Thus we will be able to discuss the merits and limits of the theoretical approaches used by these three groups, and the mutual relations between them. A nice exercise in transdisciplinary research!

Also, there will be a discussion on a paper by John Grin on the use of the multilevel perspective as a boundary objective between different approaches to transition and system innovations, as well as between science and practice. This paper, which seeks to create some reflection and debate amongst transition researchers, will shortly be published in a volume edited by Jeroen van den Bergh and his colleagues at the Vrije Universiteit.

The report of the previous meeting (November 3, Utrecht) is available for all KSI researchers on request.

Science

KSI project II.6: Sustainable Consumption

Consumers are important agents who cannot be ignored when analysing how transitions are (to be) brought about, or are to be assessed. This is the central assumption of the CONTRAST research project (II.6) on sustainable consumption.

The next question is how this role of consumers can best be studied. CONTRAST draws upon the Social Practices approach which stipulates that actual consumption practices, and the sites where they take place, should be the units of analysis. Through qualitative and quantitative research, we aim to find means to stimulate the active involvement of citizen-consumers in transition processes towards a more sustainable development of a number of environmentally relevant, everyday, domains. CONTRAST's contribution to transition theory lies in elaborating on the role of human agency in transition processes and the internationalisation of the transition debate.

CONTRAST is partly financed by KSI and partly by GaMON. Through this linkage, CONTRAST includes PhD research projects on food consumption, home maintenance, and domestic and touristic mobility. Our current research efforts include focus-groups with producers and with consumers through which we analyse how both actors assess (potential) innovations in consumption decisions, and the environmental information that comes along with them.

Practice

Transition monitoring

Over the last year KSI has made agreements with six other Bsik programmes to help them monitor themselves and the transitions they try to trigger. This is called the "pizza project", referring to the common ground of transition objectives, and the specific slices, representing the different programmes with their particular ingredients: PSIBouw, Delft Cluster, Transumo, Leven met Water, Ruimte voor GeoInformatie en TransForum.

The framework of transition monitoring has been laid out, and we are now in the phase of determining the specific indicators for each programme. But what makes it so different form regular monitoring? Usually monitoring implies accountability of some specific quantitative objectives, like the number of published articles. In this case however, it is about gearing the project in such a way, that it optimally stimulates a transition in the society by offering steering suggestions. In line with this the monitoring will use two types of indicators: (1) state indicators, about the way the transition process develops itself towards specific societal goals (e.g. Are building projects becoming demand-driven?), and (2) process indicators, about the way the transition is being managed (e.g. Are shared long term visions being constructed or already available?). Each of these types of indicators implies its own type of steering suggestions. State indicators inform about additional appropriate action, required when a transition deviates from the desired direction. Process indicators suggest courses of action with respect to the management process (e.g. increase long term vision development processes).

In addition to Mattijs Taanman two new PhD students were hired to carry out part of the work: Nanny Bressers and Nele D'Haese. They will be physically working part-time at the Erasmus University and part-time at the Bsik projects they work for.

The next goal is to come up with a first monitoring report at the mid-term review of Bsik.

Networking day: How to 'anchor' dynamic changes?

To set up a transition is one thing, to keep it going is another: that was the theme of the annual Networking day, organised by the Competence Centre Transitions, KSI and 9 other organisations.
'You have to find people that can tell your story', articulated Hugo Brouwer, projectdirector Energytransition of the Ministry of Economic Affairs during the first session. 'That's why you continuously have to search frontrunners. Those are determining the speed of the peloton.' 'But frontrunners always point at obstacles for scaling up their pilots in their organisations', Pim Leemhuis of the programme PSIBouw. 'So you need people for taking decisions'.

This little discussions is illustrative for the Networking day. In 5 workshops about 100 participants shared their ideas and knowledge on the role of the government, when to stop involvement, etc. At times, this led to intense discussions and outspoken opinions.

New for many participants was the method 'Learning History'. This method anchors knowledge in storytelling. Stories are remembered easily.

You can find this, and many more impressions of the Networking day in a (Dutch) report of the day. Download it >>here or ask for the lovely paper version by email.

Towards a competence kit 'Experimentation in transitions'

One of the main tasks of the Competence Centre Transitions (CCT) is to support the transfer of competences vital for the success of system innovations and transitions. We define the notion of 'competence' broadly: the combination of formal expertise, 'tacit' experience, tools, skills and attitude. It is important to describe these in detail to enable dialogue and knowledge transfer between transition professionals.

In the first so-called "CCT Competentiecahier" (Andringa & Weterings, 2006) six clusters of competences were described in general terms, based on literature review and practical experience in the field. For one of these competences, experimentation, a so-called competence kit is in development, in which ultimately:

• key notions from relevant research will be described
• practical know how must be communicated
• illustrative examples (i.e. learning histories) will be presented.

The competence kit 'Experimentation' focuses on one of the crucial phases in transitions: experiments with advanced technologies, new ways of social interaction and innovative ways of organising or regulating society. Experiments enable participants to learn about a new concept, how effective or desirable a new concept is, how it fits (or doesn't) into existing socio-cognitive, regulatory or technological patterns and, most important, how it can contribute to wider system change. Successful experiments are thus a crucial (although not the only and sufficient) condition for managing a transition towards a desired end vision. The first competence kit aims to assist practitioners with this complex and risky aspect of transition management.

It will have the form of an easy accessible and readable book and/or cd-rom and website, which can be used as background literature in a competence workshop on experimentation. The first chapters are currently being drafted and the first workshop is planned for June 2007.

Envisioning a sustainable Port of Amsterdam

Summer 2006, at the KSI Annual Conference in Amsterdam, I have presented what it might mean if the Amsterdam Port would choose for a consistent sustainable development and challenged KSI researchers to contribute their advice on such a development. Winter 2006, I joined John Grin's KSI team at the University of Amsterdam to lead a project which aims to elaborate a vision for a sustainable harbour. This project is sponsored by the Province of North Holland from Leren voor Duurzame Ontwikkeling funds. It will end late 2007.

The project will focus on spatial planning and infrastructure as means to promote three cornerstones of a sustainable harbour: smart use of space, closed substance cycles and energy neutral economic activity. The Port of Amsterdam is involved. In order to design a vision and elaborate associate strategies, we will follow two tracks. On the one hand, there will be a stakeholder dialogue, organized by our group in co-operation with the port authority. On the other hand, Marleen van de Kerkhof and Tjeerd Stam (IVM, Vrije Universiteit) are organizing a citizen panel. It will be interesting - both from a practical and a methodological point of view - to see what extent and in what ways we will be able top keep these two inputs together. We will keep you posted!

Column

Sustainable Innovation?

Bottom up

Simona Negro

Simona Negro (28) is the living proof that the KSI network is international: she was born in Italy, raised in Germany, she studied in the UK, and in the Netherlands. After 4 years of study she is now getting her Dr. title from Utrecht University, Copernicus Institute. Her success is a result of good planning, perseverance and friendly support of her team members. Not to forget the crazy horse she looks after, since a year. Her colleagues feared this choice, but actually it really helped her to relativise, to focus, and to be effective in writing.

In her quest for the barriers that hampered the introduction of biomass energy conversion technology for electricity production in the Netherlands over the last 20 years, she used the Innovation System perspective. This theory says that to succeed an innovation, you need 7 key factors: R&D, technology, entrepreneurs, government, financial means, lobby and market.

In the Netherlands the energy transition is only in the pre-development phase, while in Germany it is in the take-off or even the acceleration phase, but why? Simona found that in Germany the entrepreneurs were much more active in exposing their needs and in putting them on the political agenda. Therefore the government took measures that were adjusted to their needs. Also, the presence of "die Grünen" - the "green" party- in the government may have contributed to this.

Simona is very happy to continue her work during a 1 year post-doc period. She would like to broaden her scope, and bring her theory into practice. In the Netherlands she sees high potential particular for biogas produced by digestion of manure and other organic waste from farms and households (GFT). Even her horse might contribute…

If this tastes for more, you can see and hear Simona (in Dutch, with a lovely German accent) in debate with Diederik Samson in a radio interview on LLINK of Feb. 12 (20 min.).

Winterschool

The second winterschool was held in January 2007. For those PhDs who just joined KSI it was an excellent opportunity to get to know people, projects and plans. The presentations, and not in the least the critical questions asked afterwards, were very informative. Especially the one made by Simona Negro, who is just about to finish her PhD, was felt inspiring and stimulating to the others.

Also, one question was discussed in-depth in break out groups: "How do you intervene as a researcher?" It was concluded that no matter how, a researcher intervenes in reality. For example, when conducting an interview, one influences the answers by the type of questions, words or non-verbal communication. Or by giving policy advice, researchers may influence reality directly. Within KSI many colleagues are involved in action research, contributing actively to a transition process.

This particular fact is a difficulty, as the scientific system rewards scientist only for their scientific publications. Not for changing the society. Perhaps the quality criteria for scientific research should be extended, but that is another discussion.

The programme of the whole week can be found here. Next year there will be 2 shorter "winterschools" one early February, the other in September. And remember, according to Jan Rotmans, when you think about the project as being a success, it will become a success!

Hans de Haan

Hans de Haan (29) joined DRIFT (Erasmus University Rotterdam) exactly 2 years ago, after having drifted for one year. It was his former university professor in Theoretical Physics, who triggered Hans' choice to combine his skills in hard sciences with his societal engagement into a PhD study on something like climate change research. It became theoretical research to the dynamics of transitions, KSI project II.2, found through a mysterious add. Hans contributes to this project by conceptualising the social system, defining its components and its mechanisms. This is a way to connect the system thinkers to the system modellers. Ultimately he would like to be able to create a model himself, but the main goal is to set the framework, a starting point for transition models.

Hans is proud to help making transition a real science. In this light he co-organises a workshop, "Computational and Mathematical Approaches to Societal Transitions" at the end of the month.

Besides his research, his favourite occupations are playing music (guitar and singing in a experimental black metal band) and writing poetry.

He likes to think of himself as creative, clever and (playfully) arrogant. Which explains his motto "If I don't understand something, I assume it is nonsense."

Publications

W. Aarts & J. Grin, 2007.
En nu echt aan de slag met duurzame ontwikkeling. De prestaties van het Rijk bezien vanaf de werkvloer
Deel 3 in de Reeks Duurzame Ontwikkelingen. Utrecht: LvdO. (ISBN 90-8832-002-0)

J. van den Bergh & R. Kemp, Oct. 2006.
Economics and Transitions: Lessons from Economic Sub-disciplines
KSI paper

J. van den Bergh, E. van Leeuwen, F. Oosterhuis, P. Rietveld, E. Verhoef, 2007.
Social learning by doing in sustainable transport innovations: Ex-post analysis of common factors behind successes and failures
editor

J. Grin & A. Loeber , 2007.
Theories of learning. Agency, structure and change
chapter 15 (p. 201-222) in Frank Fischer, Gerald J. Miller, Mara S. Sidney (eds.), Handbook of Public Policy Analysis. Theory, Politics, and Methods. CRC Press – Taylor & Francis Group.

P. Henneman, J. de Haan, J. Rotmans & M. Minnesma, 2006.
Begin Zeeuws Transitieproces; Moet, kan en wil Zeeland veranderen?
DRIFT rapport 2

C. Leeuwis, R. Smits, J. Grin, L. Klerkx, B. van Mierlo & A. Kuipers , 2006.
Equivocations on the post privatization dynamics in agricultural innovation systems
in: The design of an Innovation-Enhancing Environment. Transforum Working Papers No. 4, p. 3-58.

A. Loeber, B. van Mierlo, J. Grin, C. Leeuwis, 2007.
The Practical Value of Theory: Conceptualizing learning in pursuit of sustainable development
chapter 3 in Arjen Wals & Tore van der Ley (eds.), Social Learning towards a sustainable world. Tokyo etc.: United Nations University Press.

R. van Raak, S. van de Krogt, R. van der Brugge & H. te Riele, 2006.
The jellyfish clash; ontknoping van het fijnstoprobleem.
DRIFT report 1

R. Reuzel, J. Grin & T. Akkerman , 2007.
Shaping power, trust and deliberation: The role of the evaluator in an interactive evaluation of cochlear implantation
Int. J. Foresight & Innovation Studies, vol. 3 no. 1, p. 76-94

  Agenda