Managing sustainable technology challenges in practice

During this course, groups of students learn to practically operationalize insights and tools from the fields of Science and Technology Studies and Sustainability Transitions and apply them to a real life sustainable innovation challenge. Each group chooses a sustainable technology (related to topics such as energy, ICT, or mobility) and select theoretical concepts and frameworks to analyze the challenges it faces. Based on their findings, students mobilize theoretical concepts and frameworks to compose policy and strategy recommendations. Students are expected to critically reflect on the possibilities and limits for the state, markets and/or civil society to manage innovations in society.

The systemic and reflexive approaches and concepts that have been discussed during prior courses within the Sustainable Technology in Society (STiS) learning line provide the operational toolkit for case analysis and recommendations for new policies or strategies. These include, but are not limited to, Justice Theory, Strategic Niche Management, Social Construction of Technology, Technological Innovation Systems, and Multi-Level Perspective. As such, this course builds upon the courses Sustainable Development in a Global Context (0SV00), Sustainable Technology in Society: Introduction (0SV10), and Managing Sustainable Technology in Society (0SV40) of the Sustainable Technology in Society (STiS) learning line.

During the course, groups of students learn how to work independently (though with regular supervision) on a real-life problem over a period of time. Hence, planning and group-work skills form an important part of the course. These skills will be challenged and stimulated to improve during the course by having introduction lecture, workshops, group meetings, peer-feedback, group work plan, and reflection on the group work and planning. The insights will finally be consolidated and presented in a final report. 

Regarding the PRV cooperating, after the course:

• The student is able to work together with other students in a self-organized team with limited guidance of lecturers/supervisors and being a reliable and effective team member taking responsibility for (self-allocated) tasks
• The student is able to give constructive feedback to team members on their contribution and to react adequately to feedback from team members
• The student is able to conduct a purposeful and structured meeting and master discussion techniques
• The student is able to reflect on their own role and contribution in a project team, if necessary attuning one or both

The cooperation and reflection on the student’s own role and contribution in a project team will be assessed by performing a mid-term and final peer review. 

Regarding the PRV project & time management, after the course:

• The student is able to plan and organize project activities in various phases of a project, keep track of task dependencies, priorities and progress, and work towards an end product / deliverable

• The student is able to reflect on own planning and organizing skills and to define an action plan accordingly

By setting up a group work plan, the student is able to plan and organize project activities in various phases of a project, keep track of task dependencies, priorities and progress, and work towards an end product / deliverable. 

The skill Handling scientific information is embedded in the other skills in order to better connect information handling skills with tasks in which academic information is obtained and processed. This will will enable students to improve their information handling skills as well.  

Additional information Assumed knowledge
Students are expected to be familiar with (at least some) theoretical concepts and frameworks thought in the Sustainable Technology in Society learning line (like 0SV00, 0SV10, and 0SV40), which include:

• Multi-Level Perspective
• Strategic Niche Management
• Visioning (visioning, forecasting, scenarios, and backcasting)
• New Business Models
• Technological Innovation Systems
• Sustainability theories (such as Baker’s ladder, Sustianable Development Goals, Sustainable synergies and trade-offs, Conventional development paradigm versus Sustainable development according to Brundland, Three pillars of sustainability/triple bottom line, green growth, ecological and social boundaries, Wellbeing monitor)
• Justice Theory (social, climate, environmental, etc.)
• Large Technical Systems
• Social Construction of Technology
• Governance and power

• Students can select the theoretical concepts and frameworks that are most suitable for the challenge(s) faced by sustainable technology in society and can justify their choice.

• Students can analyze challenges faced by sustainable technology in society by applying theoretical concepts and frameworks thought in the STiS learning line.

• Students can select the theoretical concepts and frameworks that are most suitable for composing policy and strategy recommendations based on their analyzed challenge(s) and can justify their choice.

• Students can compose policy and strategy recommendations in relation to the challenges faced by sustainable technology in society, by applying theoretical concepts and frameworks thought in the STiS learning line.

• Students can critically reflect on the agency of different actors in managing sustainable technologies in society.

You must meet the following requirements

• Registered for a degree programme other than
• HBO-TOP Applied Physics, Pre-Master

• Reading material and videos explaining the theoretical concepts and frameworks (listed in assumed knowledge).