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The workshop offered the great opportunity to discuss the different elements, the advantages and disadvantages, definitionsand modes of the complex field of transformation-oriented research.

Transformative research (TS) focuses on understanding real-world problems of unsustainability and on developing knowledge to solve these problems by engaging with different societal actors in a co-creative research setting. It builds on the acknowledgement that real-world problems are persistent, complex, ambiguous and require fundamental societal change processes (so called “transformations”) to be overcome.

During the workshop, participants gained a better understanding of what we collectively mean by transformative research and advanced critical questioning and reflections regarding experiences from the field. Instead of developing clear and foreclosing answers, participants explored the multiple perspectives and understandings of transformative research.

Three key lessons have been drawned for the community, that led to follow-up questions and elaborations:

• Transformative research critically advances from collaborative questioning: Is it really a matter of combining efforts to formulate the right questions instead of generating fast knowledge and solutions?
• Transformative research benefits from a shared identity: Who are we and what does transformative research change for us in our role and every-day scientific practice?
• Embodying participatory practices is key for transformative research: What kind of attitudes and formats do we use to come together in meaningful ways?

Valerie Voggenreiter and Felix Beyers from the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Potsdam published a paper on the workshop "A Journey of Collective Scientific Learning: A Networking Event on Transformative Research Hosted by the Austrian Institute of Technology" (August 2023).

Schauen Sie sich die letzten von Verena veröffentlichten Arbeiten an:

van Zyl-Bulitta, V.H.; Patt, A.; Mudombi, S.; Fabricius, C. (2023). Unintended consequences of climate change
adaptation: African case studies and typologies on pitfalls and windfalls, Development Southern Africa, Routledge.

Abstract: Climate change adaptation concerns mechanisms for responding to local climate change impacts to improve livelihoods of and decrease risks to affected stakeholders. In this article, we present evidence and novel insights from selected climate change adaption cases studies in Sub-Saharan Africa with the aim is to foster awareness and comprehension for local, national and transnational actors, enabling better decision-making, project implementation and policy design. To achieve this, we describe and assess positive spillovers and negative externalities of climate change adaptation. We apply a typology classification to collected case studies related to the occurrence of (un)intended (side) effects. Furthermore, we adapted political economic research on the state-of-the-art ‘4E’– method (representing enclosure,
exclusion, encroachment, entrenchment) evident in the literature and case study applications to fit our research
questions. The factors we found relevant for explaining the typology include collaboration across scales, data
availability and learning, bottom-up involvement/participation. We also formulated the positive counterpart of each of
the four E dimensions. One finding was that the category lose-win, where the intended goal was not achieved, yet a
positive spillover occurred, would be more likely to emerge with the factors ‘bottom-up participation’ as well as
‘learning across scales’ being present.

Kouvara, A.; Priavolou, C.; Ott, D.; Scherer, P.; van Zyl-Bulitta, V.H. (2023). Circular, Local, Open: A Recipe for Sustainable Building Construction. Buildings 2023, 13, 2493.

Abstract: In response to the construction sector’s contribution to the climate crisis and exacerbation of social inequalities, we explore sustainable alternatives in building construction, informed by the illustrative case study of the Polycare
construction system. A Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) shows that the ecological footprint of circularity-oriented buildings
based on polymer concrete is significantly lower than that of conventional cement concrete buildings. Despite the
drawbacks of polymer concrete, its high-performance properties and the possibility to integrate secondary materials in
its recipe can result in a reduced carbon footprint. When coupled with design-embedded modularity that facilitates
circular processes, buildings similar to those in the case study demonstrate potential for transitioning towards
comprehensive sustainable building practices. Further, we discuss how this sustainability potential could be enhanced,
drawing from interviews with Polycare’s stakeholders and key literature findings. We provide a set of proposals
anchored in the argument that threefold “circularity, localisation, and openness” is vital for sustainable and affordable
alternatives, with openness being a crucial element for fostering innovation, adaptability, and scalability in building
processes.

Master of Commerce (Stellenbosch) Absolventin Verena van Zyl-Bulitta setzt ihr Promotionsstudium am Lehrstuhl für Nachhaltigkeits- und Transformationsforschung fort, das sie an der Universität Leipzig begonnen hat. Darin beschäftigt sie sich mit sozial-ökologischen und sozio-technischen Aspekten der Energiewende entlang des globalen Nord-Süd-Gefälles. Sie untersucht, wie die Verteilung von Verantwortlichkeiten für die Flexibilisierung, Commons-Governance-Mechanismen und die Rolle der Co-Verbraucher aus einer Commoning-Perspektive gestaltet werden kann. Dazu wendet sie in ihrer Forschung Konzepte der Energie- und Flexibilitätsgerechtigkeit sowie politisch ökonomische Ansätze an.

 Am 26. Juni 2023 laden die Schader-Stiftung und die Hochschule Darmstadt zum Symposium „Transdisziplinäre Forschung: Rückblick und Perspektiven“ in das Schader-Forum ein. Die Veranstaltung nimmt den Eintritt von Dr. Bettina Brohmann (Öko-Institut e.V.) in den Ruhestand zum Anlass, Bilanz zu ziehen und nach vorne zu blicken: Welche Erkenntnisse lassen sich aus den Erfahrungen der letzten Jahrzehnte gewinnen? Welche Perspektiven ergeben sich daraus für die Rolle der Wissenschaft in gesellschaftlichen Veränderungsprozessen? Was bedeutet dies für die zukünftige Förderlandschaft?

Dierk Bauknecht beteiligt sich an der Gesprächsrunde „Neue Kulturen und Praktiken der wissenschaftlichen Zusammenarbeit etablieren - In 25 Jahren von Shaping Sustainable Transformation zur ITD Alliance".

Mehr Informationen zur Veranstaltung finden Sie auf der Webseite der Schader Stiftung.