Energy Research & Social Science. 

In the context of regional energy transitions entrenched positions between involved actors are empirically observable but we lack a regionally specific theoretical foundation to grasp and explain them. The study suggests the concept of ‘Regional Transition Fields’ (RTF) which encompass all actors, activities and organisations in a region that share a concern for the energy transition. This approach allows consideration of both those actors that promote an energy transition towards more sustainable energy sources and those that oppose it as part of the same field. The study argues that, despite the apparent agreement on the issue at stake, conflicts and tensions arise within that field concerning the rules, regulations, and common reference frames against which behaviours are judged. The framework posits that processes of adaptation and delimitation continually re-shape the structure of the field. The framework is applied to a qualitative in-depth case study of Northern Hesse in Germany. Based on a content analysis of semi-structured interviews the study offers evidence of the existence of a regional transition field, briefly introduces the key actors and actor constellations in this field, and illustrates the regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive dimensions of both adaptation and delimitation processes in this case. The study thus contributes a conceptual framework on how institutionalisation occurs in fields and thereby a more nuanced understanding of the emergence of entrenched positions in regional transition fields, which may inform future studies of regional energy transitions.

Wherever a wind farm is planned, there is often protest. Yet the energy transition cannot succeed without local acceptance. Social scientist Jannika Mattes has researched the conditions that lead to the success of wind energy projects in various regions.

Please read the full article in Uni Info from July 2024 on page 4.

English Summary

Change in the energy system goes hand in hand with the development of renewable energies and becomes visible through the diffusion of these technologies. Profound technological, economic and also social restructuring is associated with this "energy transition". Different actors are involved, they have to negotiate compromises, create standards and routines and acquire new knowledge. Often, these processes are analyzed on a general, national level. However, this perspective neglects processes at the local and regional level, which can be understood as the basis of this very heterogenous change process. This is where REENEA came in and – starting from the wind energy sector as an exemplary part of the energy transition – examined the social dynamics and regional differences of the energy transition. In recent years, the wind industry has increasingly evolved into a global sector within national, European and international contexts. At the same time, however, the industry remains regionally anchored: economic clusters form in which manufacturers, service providers, suppliers and research institutions cooperate; solutions for energy storage or sector coupling are being tested at locations with a lot of wind energy; jobs are being created and new industries or wind farms are becoming important sources of tax revenue for municipalities. But also social conflicts about the acceptance or the locations of wind turbines occur on the local level. The REENEA team's findings underscore the importance of social interactions that significantly shape the course and success of regional energy transitions. In particular, (absent) actor activities that consolidate and institutionalize the transition process explain differences in the development of (regional) transitions. Effective informal and formal collaborations of committed actors enabled some regions to develop into successful and broad-based wind energy sites. However, these successes are not automatically permanent at the regional level but can potentially be eroded at any stage of development by changes in external framework conditions. Regional actors have to deal with such changes, which can both accelerate and slow down the transition process. The importance of regional networks and institutions differs depending on the value creation position: While plant manufacturers, for example, are increasingly dependent on international markets, it is important for project developers to know local stakeholders in order to secure local land and obtain permits. If regional decision-makers perceive project development agencies and landowners as regionally anchored, this contributes significantly to the acceptance and legitimacy of wind energy development.

This year's Lower Saxony Energy Days took place in Hanover on 20 and 21 November 2023. Under the motto „The energy transition happens locally – it depends on the municipalities“ stakeholders from society, politics, administration, business and science came together to discuss the role of municipalities in the energy transition in Germany. Our working group, too, was represented by Tamara Schnell.

"Over the two days, I was able to exchange ideas with experts from a wide range of fields and talk in depth about the challenges that local authorities are facing with regard to the energy transition." Tamara Schnell

Right at the start of the event, it was clearly emphasised that the "quota of complaints for this year has already been used up" and that the conference should therefore be a platform for constructive solutions. Under this motto, the participants came together in four specialist forums. In each one four solution approaches were discussed. Tamara Schnell made a contribution in specialist forum 4: "Opportunities of energy transformation for rural areas - between value creation, innovation and participation".

In her presentation on "The Social" in wind power projects, she used examples from the case studies of the WindGISKI research project to explain the extent to which social dynamics can be analysed from a sociological perspective on the basis of legitimisation processes. This allows municipalities to be understood as part of a multi-level system, which is characterised by institutional orders that are also transformed in transitions. As the topic of "acceptance" was repeatedly identified as a key problem at the conference, Tamara was able to address this issue in her presentation and present an alternative way of looking at social dynamics - true to the motto "less complaining, more constructive solutions".

At the end of the conference, the results from the four specialist forums were gathered in a fishbowl discussion and discussed with Christian Meyer, Lower Saxony's Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection, and the moderators of the specialist forums.

'Ready, Set, Rollout…? Zur Bedeutung von heterogenen Akteuren bei er Verzögerung des Smart Meter Rollouts in Deutschland' Aktuelle Perspektiven der Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung Frühjahrstagung der Sektion Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie, TU Dortmund , 04.-05.05.2023.

2023: Tamara Schell, Jannika Mattes 'Legitimacy gaps in energy transition. Institutional misalignments in wind energy projects‘ Second International Conference on New Pathways for a Just and Inclusive Energy Transition: Connecting Multiple Stakeholders and Levels, University of Groningen, 20.-21.06.2023.

'Ready, Set, Rollout…? Zur Bedeutung von heterogenen Akteuren bei der Verzögerung des Smart Meter Rollouts in Deutschland' Aktuelle Perspektiven der Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung Frühjahrstagung der Sektion Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie, TU Dortmund , 04.-05.05.2023.

The webinar of the NEST webinar series by Prof. Dr. Jannika Mattes on the topic "Regional Energy Transition" took place on Thursday, March 23 at 10:30 CET.

You can find the video here

In this article, Nils Ohlendorf, Meike Löhr and Jochen Markard examine the conflicts and multi-sectoral dynamics around the topic of hydrogen on the basis of the hydrogen discourse in Germany. Based on a discourse analysis of 179 newspaper articles from five major German newspapers, we show that most actors are in favour of the use of hydrogen for decarbonisation. Sceptical voices emphasise that hydrogen will remain expensive and only conditionally available in the medium term.

Initial conflicts emerge on three issues: the production of hydrogen (green vs. blue), the application of hydrogen (mainly in hard-to-decarbonise-sectors or in all sectors) and imports.

Our conceptual contribution shows how the discourse on hydrogen technologies is influenced by developments in the heat and gas, industry, transport and electricity sectors. We argue that actor positions in the discourse are influenced by 1) the sectoral context, 2) sector-specific technologies, and 3) strategic actor interests. With our article we contribute to the debate on multi-system interactions.

The article can be found here: bit.ly/3SW57BD – or just contact us.

To continue their joint work, Camilla Chlebna (now Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel) and Jannika Mattes have applied for and been granted funding within the framework of the "Impuls Forschung" call of the Association of North German Universities. Both are looking forward to further cooperation, in which they will build on existing preliminary work from the REENEA project and in which the social dynamics of the regional energy transition will continue to be of central interest.

Everyone is talking about energy transition. But the underlying processes are still not running as smoothly as would be expected from a technical perspective. That is why social science is analyzing who actually shapes and determines energy transitions: Which actors are involved, which interests do they represent, and how are these negotiated? What institutional structures need to change in the context of energy transition, and why is this so difficult? Energy transition does not happen by itself, but is worked out in small steps by the actors involved and only gradually transformed into fixed, reliable structures. Using the example of wind energy expansion, we can show that energy transition is lived very differently from region to region and remains surprisingly fragile even in advanced phases.

You can find the entire lecture at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LZJCDKm1fk

Shortly before the summer break, the newest REENEA research on "The evolving role of networking organizations in sustainability transitions" has been published. In the paper, Sebastian Rohe and Camilla Chlebna analyze two regional energy networks: The Oldenburger Energiecluster OLEC e.V. and the deENet Kompetenznetzwerk dezentrale Energietechnologien e. V. from Northern Hesse.

Methodologically, Sebastian and Camilla combine interviews with experts and stakeholders from inside and outside the networking organizations with a social network analysis of the network members and their connections (expressed in joint participation of events and meetings).

The paper investigates what role OLEC and deENet played for their respective energy transitions, how the structure of both networking organizations changed over time, what kinds of tensions went along with these changes, and how policy makers and network managers might address these challenges. With this research, the REENEA team further contributions to debates around sustainability transitions, specially on transition intermediaries and the role of networks in evolving Technological Innovation Systems.

Our article is published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change: doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121916

You can download it for free until 19th September 2022 following this link: authors.elsevier.com/a/1fVT998SGstkV

If you are interested in reading it after this date, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Can a digital society be sustainable? Conference in Passau (23.-24.06.2022)

After a long time of digital conferences, we attended the first conference on site again. The DGS working group Soziologie der Nachhaltigkeit organized, together with the other groups Arbeits- und Industriesoziologie, Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung, Umwelt- und Nachhaltigkeitssoziologie, Organisationssoziologie sowie Religionssoziologie the conference Kann eine digitale Gesellschaft nachhaltig sein? Soziologische Perspektiven auf die Wechselwirkungen von gesellschaftlicher Transformation, Technik und Natur at the University of Passau.

Scholars spent two days discussing the topic from various theoretical and empirical perspectives. Sabrina Paustian presented a paper co-authored with Ricarda Schmidt-Scheele and Jannika Mattes. The presentation, titled "Heterogeneous cooperation in smart grid projects: bridging institutional logics via digital standards?" was about digitalization in the energy sector towards a more sustainable energy system. The development of smart grids leads to novel actor constellations and approaches of inter-organizational collaboration. In this process, standards have a special role, because they act as a link between the actors and thus aim to align different points of view and ways of working.

Despite the wide variety of contributions, the participants were able to identify numerous commonalities and parallels in their work. In our society, sustainability is not only closely linked to the idea of greater efficiency. Rather, the role of digitization in this process also varies. Does it reinforce this process or does it also promote more inequalities at the same time?

Sebastian Rohe, Ricarda Schmidt-Scheele, Jannika Mattes: ‘The embeddedness of companies in regional energy transitions’ 6th Geography of Innovation Conference (GeoInno2022). Mailand, Italien. 04.-06.07.2022

Technology development involves much more than just technology itself - even if IT standards are applied. In their recently published paper, Sabrina Paustian, Julia Köhlke, Jannika Mattes and Sebastian Lehnhoff from the SEAS project show why social processes also need to be considered in smart grid development processes and how they can be integrated into existing IT architecture models.

Abstract: Smart Grids interconnect stakeholders and technologies in the energy domain for the sake of enabling new ways of interacting within the energy system through the usage of information and communication technologies. However, the facilitation of new business models and competition in the energy domain is not purely a technological issue. Besides technological complexity, stakeholders with different knowledge, expertise, and methods are necessary for Smart Grid developments. This heterogeneity also results in specific social challenges. The industry-standard IEC 62559-2 leverages Use Cases for modelling the so-called Smart Grid Architecture Model (SGAM) to assess the technical interoperability and complexity of future energy systems. With its focus on ICT standardization and its implementation, it only implicitly considers involved stakeholders. However, social interaction and the underlying dynamics of power and knowledge exchange critically influence the development process. Therefore, we propose a social perspective in these collaborative development processes of SGAM with a focus on the stakeholders. For the modelling of social collaboration within the SGAM, we expand the proximity concept by Boschma (2005) to show the characteristics and the relations of stakeholders involved. Our research presents an additional ‘Social Layer’ for the SGAM to show the prevailing heterogeneity of the stakeholders and illustrates this with an empirical case study. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of stakeholder collaboration and its characteristics in the Smart Grid development processes.

The paper was presented at the Workshop on Bridging International Societal Differences in Autonomous and Digitalized Energy Systems at the ACM e-Energy Conference 2022 and has now been published here: doi.org/10.1145/3538637.3539585

Jannika Mattes, Ricarda Schmidt-Scheele and Sabrina Paustian present their paper “Heterogeneous cooperation in smart grid projects: Bridging institutional logics via digital standards?” at the EGOS 2022 in Vienna “Sub-theme 23: Digital Technology, Societal Change and Shifts in Institutional Logics”.

The workshop will be hosted as part of Hybrid Hub at ACM e-Energy 2022 conference.

Camilla Chlebna: ‘Competing terms for complementary concepts? – Acceptance, legitimacy and trust in regional energy transitions’. Guest lecture in the seminar CCRI – Countryside and Community Research Institute, University of Gloucestershire, Great Britain. Online. 26 May 2022.

Tamara Schnell has joined the working group Orgnisation & Innovation in the WindGISKI project. Please find more information on her website.

Julia Köhlke, Sabrina Paustian, Jannika Mattes, Sebastian Lehnhoff, Mathias Uslar 'Perspectives on the Social Embeddedness of the Smart Grid Architecture Model in Innovation Projects’. CIRED 2021/online. 20 – 23 September 2021.

Jannika Mattes: 'A geography of innovation perspective on regions in sustainability transitions‘. Contribution to the Panel “Spatiality in sustainability science: Contrasting perspectives to accelerate transformation” at the virtual German Sustainability Science Summit 2021, 8.-9.7.2021.

Jannika Mattes and Sabrina Paustian give the lecture "Standardisierung durch Digitalisierung im Energiesektor – Der Umgang mit Standardisierung in kollaborativen Innovationsprozessen"

Prof. Jens Köhrsen and Prof. Jannika Mattes give the lecture "Local energy transition processes - a sociological perspective".

Sociologist Jannika Mattes joins Emmy Noether-programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Jannika Mattes was granted a junior research group on Regional Energy Transition: The social processes of negotiating, norming and learning in the wind energy sector. Kickoff will be in January 2018. The project will be funded with 1.3 million Euros by the DFG (German Research Foundation).

Interview: "Entweder es klickt halt oder nicht"

Jannika Mattes and Martin Heidenreich: Die soziale Konstruktion einer Branche in kollaborativen Innovationsprozessen. Presentation in the research colloquium „Aktuelle Themen zur Windenergieforschung“ of the wind energy research centre ForWind, Oldenburg.

Martin Heidenreich and Jannika Mattes: Die soziale Konstruktion der Windenergiebranche in verteilten Innovationsprozessen. Presentation at the conference „Kollaborative Innovationen“ (Final conference of the project Collaborative Innovations), Göttingen.

Teis Hansen and Jannika Mattes: Beyond reciprocal proximity effects: the role of power. Presentation at the 3^rd Geography of Innovation Conference, Toulouse, France.

Mattes, Jannika: Energietransition unter der Lupe. Presentation as part of the series "Innovation und sozialer Wandel", Organisations- und Innovationssoziologie, University of Stuttgart.

Die doppelte Koordinierung verteilter Innovationen in und zwischen Organisationen. Eine Mikrofundierung governancetheoretischer Perspektiven. Presentation as part of the autumn conference, DGS-group Organisationssoziologie, Berlin.

Presentationas part of the research colloquium STəPS "Breaking down energy transition: The interplay of actors and subsystem in regional restructuration processes" at the University Twente.

Presentation 'Regionale Lernsysteme und die Transformation regionaler Energiesysteme', spring conference DGS Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie, section „Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung“, TU Dortmund, Germany, from 12 to 13 June 2015

Presentation with Teis Hansen Beyond reciprocal proximity effects: the role of power at the RSA Annual Conference 2015, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italien

Call for Applications Scholarships for the PhD program “Cultures of Participation” 

Presentation at the TU Dortmund bei den Aktuellen Debatten der Techniksoziologie"Transformation regionaler Innovationssysteme"

The doctoral programme "Cultures of Participation", headed by Prof. Dr. Martin Butler, has now been approved by the MWK. Jannika Mattes is among the group of professors who applied for this programme and will be involved in colloquia and thesis supervision. 

Starting in april 2013, COLLIN "Collaborative Innovations in inter-firm development processes" will investigate socially distributed innovation processes in the industries of renewable energy and information technology. Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, the research project will be coordinated by the Jean Monnet Centre for Europeanisation and Transnational Regulations Oldenburg (CETRO) and the Soziologisches Forschungsinstitut Göttingen (SOFI).
Our website contain further information regarding the project.

Back in Oldenburg, Jannika Mattes will continue to work together with her colleagues in Lund, Sweden. This collaboration is to be formalised with an official affiliation from January onwards. Based on this, I am looking forward to many new research ideas and exciting conjoint work.

Having arrived at CIRCLE, Jannika Mattes is giving a seminar on March 22nd. It is entitled "Organizing innovation in multinational companies: Selective, sequential and temporary strategies". You find the announcement, an abstract and more information on the venue here.

Jannika Mattes is starting a research period of several months at the University of Lund, Sweden. She is going to be affiliated with the well-known institute CIRCLE, Centre for Innovation, Research and Competence in the Learning Economy. One important focus of the research in Lund will be to advance regarding the relationship between global value chains and regional institutional frameworks in developing countries.

The research project with the acronym COMPOSITE has now started. In a collaboration with LATTS, Paris and EIFER, Karlsruhe, we will research how regions restructure in order to meet renewable energy aims. Financed by a French public agency, we will conduct theoretical and empirical work to find out how regional processes of readjustment occur. In a comparative perspective, we look at French and German, rural and urban regions. Jannika Mattes and the group in Oldenburg are responsible for the investigation of East Frisia (Ostfriesland). For more information, cf. Research.

In a scientific retreat, fellow researchers and Jannika Mattes had an in-depth discussion about a preliminary version of a project proposal Jannika is working on. The idea is to connect global value chains and regional institutional frameworks in order to show how regions learn in developing countries. Thank you very much to all participants for the fruitful, insightful and animated discussion!

Jannika Mattes is now post-doc fellow at the Hanse-Wissenschafts-Kolleg Delmenhorst. Together with three other awardees from the region, she will be an external fellow for the next three years.

Jannika Mattes has been awarded the Weser-Ems-Wissenschaftspreis by the Oldenburgische Landesbank. The award honours her PhD thesis "Innovation in multinational companies. Organisational, international and regional dilemmas" as a particularly praiseworthy piece of work.