TETHYS

Research question : This research project lies within “technical” democracy research and aims to answer a set of question regarding energy transition through hydrogen. These questions concern issues ranging from an inventory of local experimentations or experiences to local democracy of issues both general and practical and beyond social acceptability approaches. It is designed in tight collaboration with local institutions and a multidisciplinary consortium with multiple locations grounded on two federative structures: la Maison de la Recherche en Sciences Humaines de Caen (MRSH) and its homologue. We start with the assumption that energy transition (and its technologies) shall also be social. To vertical and hierarchical processes impulsed by industrial entrepreneurs or regional authorities, may we oppose other definitions of transition? Are there new transition referents to invent to reach a decentralised model of territories? How shall technic work as a federative channel to shape environmental citizenship rather than as a filter to regulate access to transition means? THETYS has the ambition to bring concrete answers to all these questions structured on four lines of work and to share with a large number of stakeholders Implementation: The issue of this research is to produce a societal analysis of energy transition issues building on an innovative experimental scheme, at the crossroad of knowledge, governance, research (and innovation) and practices (uses). It will rely on a dedicated structure recently settled in Caen: a living lab called “Le Dôme”, using it a full research tool. It implies, at a second level, to study scientifically this “scientific object” that will serve as a transition operator. This experimentation will be enriched by a significant and unparalleled (in France) sociological survey toward two specific key actors: students and entrepreneurs. Regarding entrepreneurs, the issue is to assess to what extend they would be incline to use hydrogen vehicles in their companies, and, for students, to measure their attitude towards renting hydrogen bike for home – university commutes. To this end, we will compare the populations of three regions: our two main regions (Normandy and Bourgogne) and Côte d’Azur serving as a witness group for comparison. This research also aims to underline the way regional press reflects emerging innovative experiences through the country. As a matter of fact, the success and spreading of hydrogen at an industrial level strongly relies on local uses and niche market. Local press is to this regard an important communication channel to raise awareness and inform to a large public. This promising source of energy may be underdeveloped if potential users don’t focus on it. Finally, a juridical and sociological reflexion on social norms will be held. This leads to questioning the choice to frame the issues in term of social acceptability rather than differently, and, to question the potential of moving from transition laws (regulation) to transition right. Valuation: Teaching (Sciences Po, Masters), Numerical plateforms, Research seminaires and events.