Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research (SCCER CREST)
WP1: Group on Energy Entrepreneurship and Future Innovation Dynamics
Auf einen Blick
- Projektleiter/in : Prof. Dr. Claudio Cometta
- Projektteam : Dr. Yann Blumer, Dr. Lukas Braunreiter, Dr. Marilou Jobin, Dr. Christina Marchand, Devon Wemyss
- Projektvolumen : CHF 1'112'000
- Projektstatus : abgeschlossen
- Drittmittelgeber : Innosuisse (Innosuisse)
- Kontaktperson : Claudio Cometta
Beschreibung
The Competence Center for Research in Energy, Society and
Transition - CREST contributes to the energy transition in
Switzerland by providing detailed, evidence-based recommendations
on policies that help to reduce energy demand, foster innovation,
and increase the share of renewables in a cost-efficient way. It
covers the complete action area “economy, environment, law and
behavior” with four lines of research that develop innovative
concepts for energy policy, provide an in-depth analysis of drivers
and barriers to energy efficiency, produce detailed strategies that
help firms and regions in adjusting to the new energy system, and
develop novel assessment tools for policies and technological
solutions.
The SCCER CREST brings together research groups from almost all
major Swiss research institutions and fills important gaps in the
research landscape.
WP1: Group on Energy Entrepreneurship and Future Innovation
Dynamics: The basis for a thorough understanding of the future
innovation dynamics in the Swiss energy sector is an analysis of
(i) how key actors include information concerning the highly
uncertain development of the energy system into their decisions,
and (ii) the capabilities needed on both organizational and
personal levels for collaborating and becoming successful
innovators. Thus, this task focuses on the role of start-ups
collaborating with both incumbent and new actors in delivering
future innovations that transform the Swiss energy sector. The key
activities of this task will be based on the maintenance and
expansion of the data-base of Swiss energy start-ups (Wemyss and
Blumer, 2015). On that basis, we analyze different innovation
patterns in the energy sector with an emphasis on the start-up
perspective. We will be able to draw from both quantitative (in
particular surveys with entrepreneurs) and qualitative (i.e. a
series of case studies, including interviews) methods. This
complements the insights of Task 1.2., which focuses on the
incumbent perspective, and yields insights into different
innovation strategies that emerge on the interface between
incumbents and start-ups, such as forms of open innovation
(Chesbrough, 2003). This also highlights crucial capabilities
needed for successful innovation (e.g. collaboration between
utilities and ICT companies in the context of smart grids). In
addition, there will be cross-cutting research to better understand
how key decision makers within the energy system integrate
information about uncertain future developments into their
decisions relevant to innovation. These insights will complement WP
3.3 by allowing for a better assessment of the impact of energy
scenarios on different actors. A series of workshops with experts
in industry and policy-making will help synthesizing the insights
of this task in a form that is useful for practice. In parallel to
our research, activities together with cooperation partners such as
the Impact Hub Zurich aiming to support and incubate
entrepreneurial initiatives within and outside the SCCERs will be
expanded (e.g. Energy Start-Up Day, educational case studies).