Incumbent-Challenger Dynamics in Energy Transitions: Governmental Challenges and Policy Needs in Germany, Great Britain and the Nordic Countries

An energy transition requires complex socio-technical changes. Removal of existing lock-ins; shifts in the behaviour of producers and consumers; and technological, political as well as social innovations are just some of the changes that are necessary for an energy transition to take place. To drive the transition, new players must become active and new strategies are required to challenge established patterns of energy policy interaction through experimentation and innovation.

This workshop addresses the dynamics between two groups of actors: innovative new entrants that are trying to change the energy field (‘challenger actors’) and established actors (‘incumbent actors’). The workshop will also compare the role played by governments in recent energy transition efforts in Europe, with several governments across Europe pushing for such low-carbon energy transitions. Investigating incumbent-challenger dynamics can show what type of policy interventions are required to promote these transformations. The aim of the workshop is to develop policy recommendations on how to govern transition processes and identify what we can learn from the various approaches currently employed in Europe, with a particular focus on Germany, Great Britain and the Nordic countries.

The workshop is being held by Freie Universität Berlin’s Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU) and the Norwegian institute CICERO as part of the Helmholtz Alliance ENERGY-TRANS project.

It will take place on September 18th, at the Representation of the Federal State of Hessen in Berlin.

Here you can find the final programme for the event.

To register, please contact Barbara Burkel: burkel@zedat.fu-berlin.de

Please note that the number of participants is limited and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.