Understanding social innovation activities for energy transition: Evidence from experiences of social innovation agents in South Korea

Abstract

Even though social innovations activities have been garnering global interest, their implications on energy transition remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to define social innovation activities that can support energy transition. We interviewed 19 social innovation agents, and the grounded theory (GT) method was applied to define the social innovation activities applicable for energy transition through inductive reasoning. Our results revealed that social innovation activities for energy transition could be defined as the entire interaction process between the pragmatic actions of agents and the participation of citizens. Notably, social innovation activities for energy transition could increase citizen participation and help economies to transition from conventional to alternative energy production and use systems. Thus, these activities lead to significant changes in the behaviors and attitudes of citizens, which are the prime factors when incorporating a subsequent structural change. Our study can provide a reliable framework to understand social innovation activities for energy transition and guide both agents and policy practitioners in decision-making, to improve and smoothen energy transition in South Korea.