Sustainable Innovation and Transitions

The course Sustainable Innovation and Transitions takes as starting points:

(1) that technology and innovation on the one hand and society and users on the other hand mutually influence one another and evolve in a co-evolutionary way;

(2) that sustainable innovations, as well as system innovations and transitions towards sustainability, are strongly needed to bring about sustainability, and;

(3) that stakeholder involvement and participatory intervention instruments are needed and required to enable and realise implementation in a socially responsible way.

The course evolves around the concepts of Functions of Innovation Systems, Strategic Niche Management, Socio-Technical Transitions, social innovation and sustainable business models. These frameworks and instruments can be applied to sustainable or social innovations, which can be a technical innovation (e.g. recycling, EVs, biogas), an organisational innovation (e.g. car sharing), or a bottom-up grassroots innovation (e.g. energy cooperatives, urban agriculture) in both industrialised and developing countries. In addition, intervention instruments like transition management and backcasting are part of the course.

The course consists of two parts:

(1) A theoretical part consisting of lectures, readings and discussions, which is assessed by a written exam.

(2) A group assignment focusing on a self-chosen topic. Examples of systems that can be studied include regional eco-industrial parks, organic agriculture, circular economy systems and renewable energy innovation systems in both industrialised and developing countries.

Summative assessment consists of:

(1) an individual open book written exam using open questions (that counts for 50%),

(2) a group project on a sustainable or social innovation chosen by the group (also counting for 50%). Individual adjustment of the group grade by the lecturer is possible, if there is evidence of unequal contributions to the group work.

(3) A bonus assignment of 0.8 point on the exam grade is possible (till a maximum exam grade of 10.0), consisting of weekly reading assignments and the peer review of draft work of another group.

Formative assessment takes place through peer review of draft work of another group as part of the group assignment.

The final grade is calculated as follows: (1*written exam + 1*bonus assignment+1*group project)/2. Final grades are expressed by means of a figure between 1 and 10, rounded to the nearest half. Both exam (complemented with the bonus assignment point) and group project must be completed with at least 5.0 and the final grade must be at least or higher than 5.75.

Only the final grade will be entered in OSIRIS. Please register for the exam in OSIRIS on time (see: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/student/education/courses-and-examinations/examinations/registration-for-exams ).