Bridging the gap between conceptualization and implementation of transition experiments: insights from a transdisciplinary research project in the Swiss Alps

Abstract

Transdisciplinary collaboration between academia, government, industry, and civil society is considered an effective approach by both scholars and practitioners to foster sustainable and transformative societal change. One way to put transdisciplinarity into practice is through experimentation. Implementing “transition experiments” in real-world settings can make it possible to test, adapt, and scale up new and innovative ideas and practices. Despite extensive research on transition experiments, detailed knowledge of their practical realization remains lacking. This is especially true regarding the step from conceptualization to implementation, which is recognized as very challenging. We address this gap by analyzing the move from conceptualization to implementation in a specific transdisciplinary project aimed at achieving regional climate neutrality in the Swiss Alps. In particular, we focus on different actor configurations involved in this process and the implementation-related supporting and hindering factors that they experienced. Based on qualitative interviews and a stakeholder workshop, we found that actors involved in facilitation of the transdisciplinary process tend to evaluate the process differently compared with actors tasked with actual implementation. We conclude that ongoing monitoring of the different actor configurations is key to identifying distinct experiences and to making adjustments to best support implementation efforts.