Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISITransition design for sustainable innovations - Initiatives in the municipal fields of action energy, water, construction & housing (TransNIK)
Innovative approaches towards sustainability can be observed in various areas, including traditional municipal fields of action, such as: energy supply, water supply & sewage disposal, as well as construction and housing. TransNIK aims to investigate drivers and obstacles for the development and dissemination of innovative sustainable approaches in these three fields of action and to identify key points for a transition to new solutions. The investigations of niches and system transformation in the TransNIK project are methodologically linked to the current state of transition research. Transition research deals with the question of the conditions under which system innovations and long-term transitions in socio-technological systems are made possible. A selection of innovative approaches in these three fields has been identified in close cooperation with partner organizations involved with realted practical and operational activities. Based on case studies of concrete manifestations of these niches, recommendations for a revised policy framework and stakeholder specific actions have been derived. The results will help to increase synergetic effects between fields of action, and enable cross-domain learning by specifically investigating interfaces and interactions between relevant niche innovations.
The Competence Center Foresight leads the process of developing scenarios for municipal transformation paths (WP 5.2), which are intended to support the derivation of policy recommendations across all fields of action and to arouse or promote interest in municipal transformation.