ST4TE project aims to provide a comprehensive view of the drivers of the Twin Transition (TT), the inequalities that emerge or are widened by the TT, and a set of policies to build greener, more equal and more productive societies. 

We live in a world of transitions. The transition to green forms of production and consumption and the digital transformation are processes that are expected to generate long-term environmental benefits and draw new opportunities for economic growth. A green and digital divide is, however, emerging, not only slowing down progress overall, but also widening the gap between individuals, regions, and social groups, leading to increased inequality in the long run. The growing divide between richer and poorer regions is expected to widen, posing challenges for regional cohesion in Europe. The benefits and costs of these two transitions are also likely to be unevenly distributed across households and vulnerable groups. If green and digital policies fail to address existing asymmetries related to access and distribution of resource, structural inequalities will be replicated and even widened, creating further injustice. Despite the growing interest and its position at the top of the European political agenda, the twin transition (TT) is still an evolving concept running over two parallel roadmaps/agendas rather than one cohesive policy framework. The way in which these two transitions are managed is still unclear, while their implementation will vary across territories depending on many contextual factors such as their industrial structure, the level of populations’ skills and international connectivity/collaboration.

As a postdoctoral researcher within the dynamic ST4TE project, I study the convergence between green and digital transitions and their potential impacts on societal inequality across European regions.

My task as a postdoctoral research include leveraging a comprehensive data sources, including patents, scientific publications, and environmental indicators, I evaluate strategies and mechanisms aimed at accelerating the green transition. Simultaneously, I explore the transformative potential of digital technologies in addressing pressing social and environmental challenges.

 Key to our investigation is understanding how the convergence of these transitions may amplify existing social disparities and environmental issues, such as industrial pollution or unemployment. Through complex systems indicators, and network analysis, we identify regions effectively integraiting technological capabilities while shedding light on challenges hindering integration in others.

• prof. dr. Ron Boschma

This project is based on the premise that universities can play a key role in the implementation of the 17 Goals.  Thus, our research focuses on understanding how institutional settings can enable the necessary interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity to enhance the transformative power of the SDGs. 

• Orlando Rodriguez
• dr. Gaston Heimeriks
• prof. dr. J.W. (Johan) Schot

This project concerns activities of the Utrecht University and its contribution to the EIT Climate-KIC's Transitions Hub regarding co-developing an indicators framework on systemic innovation. The main goal of this project is to contribute to the methodological exploration of a practice-based indicators framework on systemic change and transformation to be further used in technical assistance services in the area of monitoring and learning action. The project seeks to provide actionable knowledge through co-creating, testing, validating and therefore, consolidating and disseminating validated methods. The project activities are designed in connection to the Transitions Hub Working plan 2020. 

• prof. dr. J.W. (Johan) Schot
• Susanne Keesman MA

• Prof. Matthias Weber (AIT)
• Dr. Michael Dinges (AIT)
• Dr. Christoph Brodnik (AIT)