Convenors of track: 37. System Innovations and Transit

Abstract

Persistent sustainability problems in e.g. energy, transport, water and food production have attracted the attention of science, technology and innovation (STI) scholars. A shared idea among these scholars is that due to scale and scope of sustainability problems, incremental change in prevailing systems will not suffice. Instead, there is a need for transformative change at a system level, including major changes in production and consumption (‘sustainability transitions’). Our knowledge has advanced on these subjects in recent years. However, also new questions have emerged and there is still much to be learned if we want to unravel the complexity of transitions.

This thematic track aims at advancing the knowledge on system innovations and transitions to sustainability by critical reflections on existing conceptual frameworks and tools in the field of sustainability transitions; attention to yet under-explored areas and aspects of transitions; and proposing new insights from disciplines or practices that have not yet engaged with sustainability transition debates