Bridging the gap between renewable energy technology research and market introduction: The role of research institutes and user-centred cooperation and partnership

(1)

2

nd

_{Renewable Energy Sources - Research and Business RESRB 2017 conference}

Proceedings of the 2nd_{Renewable Energy Sources - Research and Business RESRB 2017 conference}

June 19-21, 2017, Wrocław, Poland

40

ORAL LECTURES

RESRB2017.0012

Bridging the gap between renewable energy technology research and market

introduction. The role of research institutes and user-centred cooperation

and partnership

Frans Coenen1,*_{, Yoram Krozer}1_{, Sebastian Bykuć}2_{, Patryk Chaja}2_{, Ewa Domke}2

1_{Department of Governance and Technology for Sustainability (CSTM), Faculty of Behavioural,} Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands; 2_{Instytut Maszyn} Przeplywowych im. Roberta Szewalskiego Polskiej Akademii Nauk (IMP-PAN), Gdansk/Jablonna, Poland; *_{corresponding author e-mail: f.h.j.m.coenen@utwente.nl}

Abstract

Polish research has made great advances in building technological expertise in many of the renewable energy technologies needed for an green energy transition. However the roll-out of these renewable energy technologies in society and in the energy market in Poland is, likewise several Central European countries though a few are in the forefront of the EU-countries.

Typically in this phase of the energy transition in the lower-performing EU-countries in the energy transition, technology actors usually focus on developing, testing and optimising technology and leave the societal implementation of these technologies to a later stage. Setting up special research programmes in R&D settings or demonstration projects in itself might not be enough to directly bridge the gap between R&D and market introduction. As intermediate step the living lab’ as a research concept, real-world experimental projects, and other similar technology user-centred cooperation and partnership models are needed. Experiences suggest that such living labs entail large scale implementation on local and regional levels. In the context of the Horizon 2020 project SUPREME the paper explores the first experiences and difficulties with real-world experimental projects as important initiatives that precede further market niche development. These experimental projects potential align technology, user demands and sustainability issues. Models for user-centred cooperation and partnership are discussed in the paper.

Progress will to be assessed against the Polish landscape of a historical legacy of coal dependency, a slow-developing economy and a changed political climate. Lessons on technological, economic, social, political, and practical factors that might form barriers in the energy transition are drawn. The explored factors are based on implementation literature and system innovation literature, particular internal and external project process factors from the strategic niche management (SNM) literature.

The specific role of sustainable energy research institutes will be discussed on the bases of the Jablonna Energy Conversion and Renewable Sources (KEZO) example. The choice for minor variations of prevailing technologies in real world experiments will be compared with more radical innovations that ask according to SSM scholars for protected market niches.

Keywords

energy transition; RES real-world experiments; strategic niches; RES research institutes; research cooperation and partnership