- Course Title: Innovation & Sustainability Transitions
- Course Code: PHDINN918
- Credits: 7.5 ECTS
- Teaching Dates: December 14–18, 2026
- Location: HVL Campus Bergen
- Organized by: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL)
- Application Deadline: October 1, 2026
- Application: Apply for the course
- More Information: Course description – PHDINN918
- Questions Regarding Registration: Eva.Leirbæk@hvl.no
Faculty
- Professor Lars Coenen, Course Coordinator (Lund University and HVL)
- Professor Teis Hansen (University of Copenhagen and SINTEF)
- Dr. Lea Fuenfschilling (Lund University)
- Professor Bernhard Truffer (Eawag and Utrecht University)
- Dr. Maria Tsouri (HVL)
- Dr. Svein Gunnar Sjøtun (HVL)
- Dr. Nora Geirsdotter Bækkelund (HVL)
Contents and Structure
Fundamental transitions within societal sectors such as energy, transport, water, and food are required to cope with sustainability challenges that are increasingly global and urgent in scale. Such transitions presuppose the introduction, diffusion, and adoption of green innovations of various kinds to ensure a shift towards a more sustainable and environmentally sound society.
Due to the specific and often wicked characteristics of sustainability problems, incremental changes to existing systems are considered insufficient. Sustainability transitions research emphasizes the need for transformative change at a systemic level, encompassing comprehensive changes in the modes of production and consumption within societal sectors.
The development and implementation of innovations in sustainability transitions require transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches. These approaches must not only target individual technological options or piecemeal solutions but also account for their co-evolving institutional, political, industrial, and spatial contexts.
The course is based on a sociotechnical systems approach and is rooted in transition theories. During the course, students participate in plenary sessions featuring lectures by internationally leading scholars in the field. They also take part in smaller group sessions, where they present and receive feedback on their own work and contribute to discussions of their peers’ work.
The plenary sessions will include questions and dialogue, and there will be ample opportunities for informal discussions among participants and faculty.
The course consists of eight modules:
- Module 1: Introduction to Innovation and Sustainability Transitions
- Module 2: Technological Innovation Systems, Industrial Dynamics, and Incumbents
- Module 3: Innovation Policy and Sustainability Transitions
- Module 4: Globalization and the Geography of Transitions
- Module 5: Urban and Regional Sustainability Transitions
- Module 6: An Institutional Perspective on Sustainability Transitions
- Module 7: Emerging Topics in Sustainability Transitions
- Module 8: Publishing in and on Sustainability Transitions
Learning Outcomes
The course offers an introduction to innovation and sustainability transitions. Students will become familiar with the foundations of transitions research, its main conceptual and analytical frameworks, as well as current debates and knowledge gaps in the field.
The course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to explore different aspects of transitions research and discuss these in relation to their own research projects.
Knowledge
Upon completing the course, students:
- will have knowledge of how to interpret and operationalize the concept of sustainability across different geographical scales and sectors, as well as its implications for development;
- will have advanced knowledge of transition pathways that foster sustainable modes of production and consumption in different societal sectors;
- will be able to understand, operationalize, and critically reflect on the main conceptual frameworks in transition theory, particularly Technological Innovation Systems (TIS), the Multi-Level Perspective on sociotechnical transitions (MLP), Strategic Niche Management (SNM), and Transition Management (TM);
- will be able to understand and analyze the role of firms and industrial dynamics in sustainability transitions;
- will be familiar with the spatial dimensions of sustainability transitions and how geography influences such processes; and
- will be able to contribute to the development of new interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral knowledge, theories, methods, and interpretations.
Skills
Upon completing the course, students:
- will understand and be able to explain the resource potential, technical properties, socioeconomic challenges, and environmental impacts of future key technologies and solutions for sustainable development;
- will be able to synthesize material from a broad range of relevant areas when addressing specific questions concerning the challenges of innovation in sustainability transitions;
- will be able to independently design research projects targeting a multifaceted evaluation of a prospective green technology or solution; and
- will be able to apply conceptual and theoretical arguments when discussing transitions in industrial and societal systems, including the geographical dimensions of such changes.
General Competence
Upon completing the course, students:
- will understand the major topics, facts, and issues related to sustainability transitions, including political, societal, and technological opportunities and limitations, environmental considerations, and societal effects;
- will have developed the skills needed to undertake independent research;
- will be able to contribute and reflect on new ideas that foster societal change towards a sustainable future; and
- will be able to communicate, articulate, and discuss their own comprehensive and independent research using relevant scientific theories, concepts, and terminology.
Entry Requirements
Applicants should have a background in social sciences, engineering, or natural sciences. Familiarity with interdisciplinary research is desirable.
Teaching Methods
- Lectures
- Active discussions
- Student presentations, including questions and answers, at the end of the course week outlining the initial idea for the course paper
- Preparation of a short research or course paper of fewer than 5,000 words
Assessment
The research paper is assessed on a pass/fail basis by an internal committee. Participation in the course is mandatory and a prerequisite for assessment.
Important Information for NORSI Students
NORSI does not cover travel costs. As a NORSI student, you are responsible for arranging and paying for your own travel.
NORSI covers accommodation and will book a hotel in Bergen. Each participant will have a private room, and breakfast will be included. NORSI will also arrange and cover lunch at HVL and one dinner. Participants are responsible for covering any additional meals and expenses.