Sustainable energy transitions are central to addressing global challenges such as climate change, yet current energy systems often remain driven by profit-oriented logics that overlook social equity and inclusivity. Advancing these transitions requires not only technological innovation but also new collaborative approaches that integrate social, economic, and environmental dimensions.
This line of research explores how open social innovation enables the development of sustainable and inclusive solutions in the renewable energy landscape. So far, our research showed that collaborative approaches led by social entrepreneurs and diverse stakeholders support the co-creation of community-based energy initiatives. In particular, our work highlights how digital dynamic capabilities allow energy actors to sense opportunities, mobilize resources, and reconfigure strategies to overcome regulatory, financial, and organizational barriers.
Building on these findings, we are currently deepening our understanding of how digital technologies, and particularly artificial intelligence, support open social innovation processes. Ongoing research examines how artificial intelligence enhances ideation, stakeholder engagement, and decision-making, and how it functions as a technological and socio-organizational enabler of scalable and inclusive innovation ecosystems.
This project contributes to advancing theoretical and practical understanding of sustainable innovation by linking open social innovation, dynamic capabilities, and digital technologies to energy transitions. It provides actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners on how to foster collaborative ecosystems that accelerate the development of equitable and sustainable energy systems.