Conference Agenda

This study investigates how public research and technology organizations (RTOs) in the Global South develop dynamic capabilities to implement mission-oriented innovation agendas, even within immature or evolving innovation systems. Drawing on a qualitative case study of Embrapa—the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation—the analysis is structured through a three-layer framework encompassing state capacity, organizational routines, and dynamic capabilities (Kattel, 2024). The findings reveal that experimentation, as a dynamic capability, played a central role in enabling Embrapa to transition from linear technology transfer models to more collaborative, co-development-based public–private partnerships in the field of bioinputs. Legal frameworks such as Brazil’s Innovation Law, internal procedures for innovation governance, and strategic risk-taking at the unit level jointly contributed to the institutionalization of new models of partnership. The study highlights how public RTOs can act as both technological and institutional innovators, actively shaping sustainable markets and advancing national missions. While the analysis is grounded in a single case, it offers broader insights into the conditions under which experimentation and other dynamic capabilities emerge and consolidate in public sector organizations. The findings contribute to the growing literature on the implementation of Mission-Oriented and Transformative Innovation Policies by highlighting how the development of dynamic capabilities—particularly experimentation—enables public organizations in the Global South to operationalize long-term innovation missions within complex and evolving institutional environments.

To achieve environmental sustainability, the use of digital technologies is seen as key (Meijer, 2024). Therefore, the European Commission (EU) has set the goal to combine the digital transition with the green transition (Muench, 2022). Combining these transitions is often referred to as the twin transition. A central challenge for realizing the twin transition is to make sure that these transitions are fair, inclusive and just (Muench, 2022). Including social justice in the twin transition is essential as it would prevent negative effects such as unequal access to green subsidies, energy poverty, a digital divide between different social groups and regions, and long-term social inequalities (Meijer, 2024).

Including social justice in the twin transition implies a (re)distribution of benefits and costs of the twin transition according to the principles of social justice (Wang & Lo, 2021). Although attention has been paid to the “why” of ensuring justice within the twin transition, the “how” has received little attention (Stark et al 2023). Empirical (case) studies are missing, and the literature on justice within transition that is available, particularly seems to focus on distributional forms of justice (Stark et al 2023). Furthermore, the literature on social justice in relation to the twin transition is spread out over different strands of public administration literature such as social justice, data justice, sustainability justice, and environmental data justice literature (Wang & Lo, 2021).

The aim of this study is to enhance our understanding of how local governments can safeguard social justice in twin transition and what capabilities they use for this. We contribute to the literature by integrating different strands of literature and developing a conceptual framework in which we identify four forms of social justice in the twin transition: distributional justice, procedural justice, interactional justice and justice in outcomes. Following, we use a multiple case-study approach among two local governments: the city of Utrecht and the city of Leuven. Within these cities, we analyze seven projects in which the digital transformation, sustainability and social justice are at stake. This case study allowed us to examine what synergies and tensions may arise and what capabilities are needed to safeguard different forms of social justice in twin transition projects. Our findings contribute to the literature by enhancing our conceptual and empirical understanding of what safeguarding social justice in the twin transition entails.

References

Meijer, A. (2024). Perspectives on the twin transition: Instrumental and institutional linkages between the digital and sustainability transitions. Information Polity, 29(1), 35–51.

Muench, S., Stoermer, E., Jensen, K., Asikainen, T., Salvi, M. and Scapolo, F., (2022). Towards a green and digital future. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg..

Stark, A., Gale, F., & Murphy-Gregory, H. (2023). Just Transitions’ Meanings: A Systematic Review.Society & Natural Resources, 36(10), 1277–1297.https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2023.2207166

Wang, X., & Lo, K. (2021). Just transition: A conceptual review. Energy Research & Social Science, 82, 102291.

The disrupting effects of digital transformations and the climate change crisis on public administrations worldwide cannot be underestimated. In recent years, local public servants have had to deal with multiple natural emergencies, political uncertainty, or austerity measures that have left them under-resourced and under-financed. Adapting to the Twin Transition is one of the most pressing challenges local public servants are facing. Still, little is known about what local civil servants think about these transitions and how they are equipped to manage them. This paper seeks to shine light on this growing area of research. Its inquiry is primarily focused on the capacities and capabilities of local public servants. Theoretically, there are multiple debates on state and administrative capacity (Farazmand 2009), mission oriented public sector capabilities (Kattel and Mazzucato 2018) or policy capacity (Wu et al. 2015). Specific contributions have emerged on the ability of governments and local administrations to develop transition capabilities and tasks (Braams et al. 2021; Braams et al. 2022) looking at climate change adaptation (Biesbroek et al. 2018; Bhatia et al. 2024) or digital transformation (Kattel and Takala 2021; Haug et al. 2023). Whilst all these provide valuable conceptualisations of capacities and capabilities required by public sector bodies, this paper contributes to exploring how capacity building approaches and practices vary across local public administrations by bringing in more micro-level perspectives.

Drawing on the literature, several factors are identified and empirically assessed. Firstly, it seeks to map the specific skills and competences that are developed by local public servants to deal with the twin transitions. Secondly, it analyses the specific type of capabilities local public servants require to manage different policy/programmatic dimensions of the twin transitions (from formulation to implementation, monitoring, or evaluation). Thirdly, capacity building for the twin transitions reopens discussions on change management and the way in which public sector organisations adapt or enforce such changes. Ascertaining if local public servants involved in the twin transition feel supported or motivated by their senior managers is another key aspect for capacity building. Fourthly, it evaluates the resources mobilised to address the challenges of building capacity for the twin transitions. These could range from internal funding, to different ICT systems, or being other horizontal resources that may affect capacity-building. Finally, politico-administrative relations and internal dynamics might prove significant if twin transitions requirements are to be translated into concrete capacity-building practices. Two additional external factors could also describe variation across empirical contexts. The dynamics between state and local authorities, as well as the degree of legitimacy of the twin transition objectives in specific societal and political jurisdictions.

Methodologically, the paper builds on an ongoing qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with public servants across Scotland, based in different Council areas and in different departments of the Scottish Government. An abductive approach is used not only to capture the variation of the above indicated factors, but equally, how local public servants perceive their skills and needs in relation to the challenges posed by the Twin Transitions for local public administrations.

Abstract

Achieving large-scale housing renovation in Europe requires coordinated socio-technical transformations encompassing technical, financial, social, and administrative systems. One-Stop Shops (OSSs) have emerged as key intermediaries in this transformation, offering integrated renovation services while navigating fragmented institutional, market, and homeowner landscapes. This paper explores the capabilities OSSs need to govern the “Renovation Wave,” with a focus on public and hybrid institutional models. Drawing on a desk study of 100 OSSs across Europe and expert interviews from cases in Riga and Vilnius, the study develops a typology of OSS roles—preparing, advising, financing, and engaging—and identifies key capability configurations based on task complexity and structural hybridity. Findings highlight that OSSs must balance routine service delivery with strategic institutional work, including trust-building, community engagement, and systemic innovation. Comparative analysis of Riga and Vilnius reveals divergent institutional capacities and resident engagement strategies, with Vilnius adopting a more active, full-cycle model, and Riga constrained to advisory support. The study concludes that public-sector-led OSSs can be effective drivers of renovation transitions when equipped with adaptive capabilities, inter-organizational coordination mechanisms, and resources for long-term resident engagement.

Housing is responsible for 40% of final energy consumption in Europe. The European renovation wave aims at radically reducing the energy consumption and carbon emissions of its housing stock to a sustainable level. This paper conducts a configurative literature review to address how public authorities facilitate the governance of residential housing energy regime transition. Drawing on the PRISMA method and qualitative coding with NVivo 14, this study synthesises insights from over 90 peer-reviewed sources and policy documents. This review contributes to the discourse of housing renovation governance and provides a conceptual basis for rethinking how public authorities can align their actions with sustainability transition challenges