The Malleability and Unpredictability of Regional Transitions: a Systematic Approach for Reflection and Learning
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LEI Wageningen UR LEI Wageningen UR is one of the world’s leading independent socio-economic P.O. Box 29703 research institutes. LEI’s unique data, models and knowledge offer clients insight The malleability and unpredictability of 2502 LS Den Haag and integrated advice on policy and decision-making in an innovative manner, and The Netherlands ultimately contribute to a more sustainable world. LEI is part of Wageningen UR E [email protected] (University and Research centre), forming the Social Sciences Group together with regional transitions: a systematic approach T +31 (0)70 335 83 30 the Department of Social Sciences and Wageningen UR Centre for Development www.wageningenUR.nl/lei Innovation. for reflection and learning The mission of Wageningen UR (University & Research centre) is ‘To explore REPORT the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’. Within Wageningen UR, Carolien de Lauwere, Sietze Vellema, Roel During and Noor Dessing (Eds.) LEI 2015-016 nine specialised research institutes of the DLO Foundation have joined forces with Wageningen University to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment. With approximately 30 locations, 6,000 members of staff and 9,000 students, Wageningen UR is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. The integral approach to problems and the cooperation between the various disciplines are at the heart of the unique Wageningen Approach. The malleability and unpredictability of regional transitions: a systematic approach for reflection and learning Carolien de Lauwere, Sietze Vellema, Roel During and Noor Dessing (Eds.) This study was carried out by LEI Wageningen UR and was commissioned and financed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs within the context of the Transition and Innovation research theme of the Knowledge Base (project number KB-16-002.05-003) Wageningen UR Wageningen, May 2015 NOTA Wageningen UR 2015-016 De Lauwere, Carolien, Sietze Vellema, Roel During and Noor Dessing, 2015. The malleability and unpredictability of regional transitions: a systematic approach for reflection and learning. Wageningen, Wageningen UR (University & Research centre), LEI Report 2015-016. 76 pp.; 5 fig.; 7 tab.; 99 ref. This report can be downloaded for free at the E-depot http://edepot.LEI.nl or at www.wageningenUR.nl © 2015 Wageningen UR P.O. 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LEI Report 2015-016 | Projectcode 2282300003 Cover omslag: Shutterstock Contents 1 What happens in the region? A systematic approach for documenting and reflecting on regional transitions 5 1.1 Introduction 5 1.2 Rationale of the project 5 1.3 Understanding regional transitions - a three-step methodology 6 1.4 In sum 8 References 8 2 The logics of innovation and transition in the Venlo region 10 2.1 Transitioning Venlo 10 2.2 The course of events in a dynamics regional transition arena 11 2.3 The course of events as observed by regional transition partners 12 2.4 Dramaturgic analysis 13 2.5 The logic of strategy and intervention 16 2.5.1 Innovation as a transdisciplinary ambition 16 2.5.2 A network approach in search of niches 17 2.5.3 An institutional approach to enhance the innovative performance of the region 17 2.5.4 The logics of upscaling 18 2.6 Inclusion and exclusion 19 2.7 Conclusions 21 References 22 3 Betuwse bloem 23 Abstract 23 3.1 River Area 23 3.2 National policy: Greenports and Top Sectors 25 3.3 Betuwse Bloem 25 3.4 Dramaturgical analyse of Betuwse Bloem 26 3.5 Projects & Pacts 28 3.6 Linking clusters to Betuwse Bloem 30 References 30 4 Connecting global ambitions to regional realities - A process review of agropark development in the Noordoostpolder 32 4.1 Introduction 32 4.2 Concepts 32 4.3 Methods 33 4.4 Context - farmers in the Noordoostpolder and Ens 33 4.4.1 Historic context 33 4.4.2 The situation today 34 4.5 The narrative - developing a cradle-to-cradle agropark 34 4.5.1 Phase 1: developing the idea 34 4.5.2 Phase 2: exploring potential 35 4.5.3 Phase 3; Starting the project 36 4.6 The process - interventions that made it work 37 4.6.1 Bounded communities 38 4.6.2 Brokering for bounded communities 40 4.6.3 Making abstract concepts concrete 41 4.7 The specifics of the context - conditions that made it work 42 4.7.1 Change dynamics in a diversified area 43 4.7.2 Potential for strong local embeddedness 44 4.8 Conclusions 45 References 46 5 Panoven: From brickyard to LEIsure company 48 5.1 Introduction 48 5.2 From stone production to LEIsure services 48 5.2.1 The family 48 5.2.2 Characteristics of the Panoven 48 5.2.3 Location 48 5.3 Analysis of important events and breakthroughs in the development of the Panoven 49 5.4 Three main processes 51 5.4.1 Area, family and the urge for continuity 51 5.4.2 Bonds within the business branch 52 5.4.3 Mobilising investments and influence 52 5.5 Conclusions 53 References 53 6 Supporting a regional transition, the Echt Overijssel! case 54 6.1 Project description Echt Overijssel! 54 6.2 Activities and results 2007-mid 2011 55 6.2.1 The initiation 55 6.2.2 Getting the project started, 2007-2009 56 6.2.3 The project structure 57 6.3 Activities in the three networks 59 6.3.1 Activities of the Animal Feed network 59 6.3.2 Activities of the Cropping network 60 6.3.3 Activities of the Market network 61 6.4 Activities on project level 62 6.4.1 Interactive design 62 6.4.2 Monitoring and evaluation 64 6.5 Reflection and discussion 65 6.5.1 Reflection on project approach 65 6.5.2 Reflection on the Echt Overijssel! case 69 References 70 7 Conclusions: Taking stock of the lessons learnt 73 7.1 General 73 7.2 Criticism on the project methodology 75 7.2.1 On methodological approach 75 7.2.2 On the combination of theories 75 7.2.3 Critical approach towards innovation (innovation for innovation?) 75 7.3 New questions beyond the results of this research project 75 References 75 1 What happens in the region? A systematic approach for documenting and reflecting on regional transitions Sietze Vellema, Carolien de Lauwere 1.1 Introduction The ‘region’ has increasingly become an entry point for inducing a transition towards sustainable food provision, environmental quality for living and recreation, and/or economic competitiveness. Regional projects and strategies have assembled politicians, entrepreneurs, civil society organisations, and researchers in joint endeavours, with ambitious names such as Food Valley, Energy Valley, Health Valley, or Greenports. This report labels such endeavours as ‘regional transitions’. A common feature of regional transitions is that forces are bundled in a region to strengthen local economies in a context of international trade and competition. This fits in national and European policies which assume that local economies can be strengthened by technological innovation (Rutten and Boekema, 2007). Regional transitions however include more than ‘just’ a technical innovation with its necessary logistics and infrastructure. The question how connections between people (stakeholders involved) and organisations arise and grow may be much more crucial in regional transitions. Regional transitions are often complex and their progress is hard to predict. Context-dependent factors and unforeseen circumstances may influence the course of the process and push it in another direction than intended. Moreover, unanticipated outcomes often emerge from the various interactions between different actors and dynamics at different scales. Hence, regional transitions are not easy to plan or design. This makes it relevant to make use of hands-on experiences for understanding how change and excitement occurs, how whimsical processes of transformation evolve, and how malleable these processes are. 1.2 Rationale of the project The joint research presented in this report started from the notion that dynamics or changes themselves may be more important than the actual design or orientation of the intervention or strategy underlying the regional transition. This resonated with reflections of the involved researchers, who all participated in regional transitions as facilitator and/or project leader. They realised that they often acted intuitively, on the basis of predefined ideas of how a transition would take place, or how change is supposed to work. Yet, the realities of the regional transitions engaged them in a space of experimentation and confronted them with coincidental connections between actors and actions, the effects of which only made sense in retrospect. This challenges their desire to learn from their experiences in regional transitions.