“Social innovation is both a driver of innovation and a precondition for implementation”

Prof. Burger, you are among the partners of the recently funded MSCA ITN project “SMART BEEjS”. Congratulations! Through this project, you can fund two PhD students for three years and allow them to participate in an interdisciplinary, internationally highly recognised research project. Can you tell us more about the project?

Thank you. Indeed, I am very pleased that the EU decided to support this project, not only because it contributes to the highly relevant field of Energy Justice but also because it will create a new generation of experts with an innovative, interdisciplinary, cross-border approach. In a nutshell: SMART BEEjS combines the expertise of economists, psychologists, sociologists and technology development to investigate the impacts of technological change and policy-decisions such as liberalisation and decentralisation of energy markets on society, especially on the poorer part of the population. The focus is on the EU’s aim to establish “100 positive energy districts by 2025 and 80% of electricity consumption to be managed by consumers in 4 out of 5 households”. At the same time, it is estimated that around 54 million people in the EU live in conditions of energy poverty, which means they lack access to adequate energy services. Successful implementation of sustainable energy policies is an enormous challenge, because it requires consideration of various stakeholders and factors. Just think of the protests that Macron’s carbon tax has caused. SMART-BEEjS aims to develop evidence, tools and methodologies that will contribute to the understanding of these complex interactions.  

That sounds very interesting, indeed. Can you tell us how you became a partner of this project?

I have been invited by the Coordinator of the project at Nottingham Trent University based on a recommendation from a colleague from SCCER-CREST. They were looking for someone to cover the socio-psychological aspects of the project. The project immediately appealed to me, since it has the scale and scope needed to truly contribute to the topic. Also, and this is probably even more important, it aims to create a new generation of experts in the field of sustainability, who will be well equipped to tackle the complex challenges of the future. It may be important to mention that the coordinator obviously had the resources to set up this proposal very professionally. They had a very experienced proposal writer. It was noticeable that the coordinator’s University invests in participation in EU projects.

Through its Research Fund, the University of Basel also offers funding for the preparation of major project applications. In your opinion, are there other measures the university could take to promote coordinations or at least increase participation in such projects?

I think it is important to “live” these kind of programmes, i.e. to identify with the characteristics of the funding instrument. MSCA ITNs are a good example. To this day, it is difficult to write a PhD thesis in another discipline at the University of Basel. If someone with a master’s degree in economics applies to me as a PhD student, it is hard to bring this in line with the University’s PhD regulations. If the University aims to foster interdisciplinary research, it needs to open up its PhD regulations to allow supervisors from different disciplines. This is something we could learn from the Americans. The same applies to international joint doctorates. To be honest, I do not know yet how we will solve these issues in the case of SMART BEEjS. 

This is certainly something that needs to be tackled, and the Grants Office will support you wherever possible. However, there are some who criticise the EU’s “problem-oriented” approach as a  threat towards the erosion of free basic research. What is your opinion on this? 

I do not think that these concerns are justified. Problem-oriented research must always be built on solid basic research methods. On the other hand, a problem-oriented approach gives important impulses to basic research since it requires combining your ideas with other perspectives and methodologies. In my opinion, such influence is crucial for the further development of any discipline. What is important is that discipline-specific methods are retained. SCCER CREST for example is based on methodologically verified basic research but aims for tailor-made interventions towards a more sustainable energy future. I myself was able to develop my field significantly through cooperation with other disciplines while always maintaining the values and principles of my discipline. Interdisciplinarity requires openness and willingness to enter into discourse, which is a challenge but at the same time a huge opportunity.  It is also important to mention that, from my experience, many international journals recognise the potential of problem-oriented research. We just submitted a revised article to “Global Environmental Change”, which has an impact factor of 6.37.  

So you support the EU strategy to align a significant part of its next research and innovation framework programme to the UN’s sustainable development goals?

The fact that the EU so clearly commits to the SDG’s and is willing to invest multiple billions in research and innovation is certainly an important signal. Nevertheless, we must not forget that political and economic factors play an important role. China has taken a crucial role in the field of sustainable technologies and the EU wants to keep up. While international competition in the field of sustainable development has many positive aspects, such as stimulating innovation, it also has negative ones, of course. For example, industrial lobbying is still strong and political measures – again, think of Macron’s carbon tax - may have destructive effects on society. This is also why a critical, interdisciplinary approach is so important.

Speaking of innovation - this seems to be an important aspect of the University strategy. How would you describe the difference between the “mainstream” definition of innovation and “social innovation”?

This is an important question. Generally, there is currently no other area that generates more innovation than sustainability. Scientific evidence of climate change and other environmental challenges have triggered a boost in the development of sustainable technologies. Research in the field of smart mobility, smart homes and smart production is booming. However, technological innovation and social innovation are closely linked. Social innovation takes place if people change their preferences for quality of life and therefore is both a driver of innovation and a precondition for implementation. The “Fridays for Future” – the youth movement against climate change – is a good example of social innovation. It reminds me of the ’68 movement. Universities play a crucial role in triggering social innovation, not only by providing scientific evidence on relevant topics but also because they equip people with the knowledge and methodologies required to tackle the challenges of the future.

Thank you very much for this interview, Paul. We wish you every success for SMART BEEjS and your other projects.