“Making energy transition work”: Bricolage in Austrian regions’ path-creation

Abstract

In the quest for energy transition pathways, energy regions have become the instrument of choice in peripheralized Austrian regions. This paper unveils why “locked-in" regions usually struggling with systemic change can still create alternative paths. Based on the bricolage concept and the ASID heuristic, we develop a framework to examine the transition processes of three Austrian energy regions (Güssing, Hermagor, Murau). The case studies illustrate the significance of bricolage in mobilizing agential, structural, institutional and discursive resources towards regional path-creation, and show how strategic agents skillfully assemble these resources to mold the transition process in their favor. We thus conclude that (1) the bricolage approach can be a valuable analytical lens for all aspects of regional development in “locked-in” regions, and (2) the energy regions instrument reinforces existing power structures, suggesting why inclusive energy transitions might still fail despite resourceful and robust plans.