This project will explore the prospects for incumbents in the energy industry to play a more meaningful role in Europe’s energy transition. Focusing on the North Sea region, the ESR will examine oil and gas company strategies in relation to low carbon energy and the role of policy and regulation in facilitating the reconfiguration and repurposing of existing energy infrastructure. The project will draw from and develop theories in innovation studies and science and technology studies to analyse in an integrated way the technological, organizational and political processes which are reshaping the boundaries between the traditional fossil fuel and the renewables-based energy industries. A mixed methods approach will be used, including interviews with industry actors, project level case studies, analysis of company reports, firm level surveys and analysis of policy and regulatory documents. Project outcomes will include an understanding of how existing agents in the oil and gas industry can adapt to and drive energy transitions through repurposing of infrastructure and the development of new strategies and capabilities, and a set of policy recommendations to support this.

The ESR will collaborate closely with other ENSYSTRA partners and will work towards an integration of knowledge and research findings across the different work packages.

Planned secondments: Norwegian Energy Partners (Norway), Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (Netherlands), Chalmers University (Sweden).
Lead supervisor: Dr Ronan Bolton, School of Social and Political Science.

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