Overview
Energy transition in Switzerland is lagging behind expectation despite highly advanced technologies. To ensure energy transition, innovation in the energy sector must tackle complex multilevel and often controversial (`wicked`) issues. The International Energy Agency calls for a more systemic and collaborative approach to innovation and knowledge sharing. Municipalities act as mediators in the innovation process. They can promote energy innovation by involving all relevant actors at municipal level in a process of co-creation.
Our TFV-Networking Event Series ‘MUNICIPAL: Co-Creating Energy Innovation at Municipal Level Across Regions and Sectors’ provides municipalities across Switzerland with access to energy innovations. After identifying stakeholders, issues and challenges in the Swiss regions, we employ a design approach to co-creation to enable stakeholders who otherwise compete to explore controversial issues together and to arrive at both innovative project ideas and a new capacity for working co-creatively on energy challenges.
Consequently, this series not only facilitates development of innovative energy solutions at municipal level, yet it connects relevant actors from groups including (among others) industry, R&D, policy makers, administrations, citizens and civil society in a multi-stakeholder-process to build an open-innovation community with focus on energy transition. The community is expanded stepwise across regions and sectors over the course of the series. This sets the stage for a Swiss energy transition with multiple benefits for the Swiss economy and society.
