Researchers’ perspective within responsible implementation with socio-technical approaches. An example from solar energy research centre in Chile

Abstract

Adopting and contextualizing alternative policy approaches within any scientific discipline or context requires considering the multiple trans-boundary and trans-disciplinary characteristics of the different research and innovations paths and actors, disciplines, and global contexts. However, the implications of the stakeholder's perspective, which provides relevant outcomes for an integration of a technological system in a process where the actors' opinion forms a fundamental element of the methodology, are not sufficiently explored in recent literature. Therefore, the general question this paper deals with is how to incorporate alternative policy approaches - such as responsible research and innovation (RRI) - in the discipline of innovation in renewable energy in a non-European context. This is achieved using the implications of the stakeholder's perspective and the socio-technical transition approach as an evolution of innovation theories. Based on an analysis of the results of an original survey involving researchers, we examine the deployment of socio-technical approaches, obtaining the imprints of the responsible approaches in the strategies for innovation in the field of solar technology in Chile. The survey process, consistent in a series of semi-structured interviews and an online survey, was undertaken with 10 researchers (answering 9 with final N = 8) for the interview process and 78 targeted researchers (with 44 completing the surveys with average final N = 34) from the Chilean Solar Research Centre (SERC-Chile). Findings showed that systemic approaches were found prevailing when it comes to considerate social dimensions, which were described in terms of economic, institutional, and regulatory features. However, a growing deployment of socio-technical approaches was found in terms of the incorporation of new actors, engagement with the community, real appropriation, cultural integration, social licence to operate, and the valorisation of alternative approaches, such transdisciplinarity and co-construction of knowledge, resulting in implications for innovation and energy policy.