Post-automation
Grassroots innovations in the development and use of digital technologies are generating important alternatives to the latest wave of automation in societies. A report explains more based on insights emerging […]
Category Archives: Briefings
Smart cities need thick data not big data
A number of grassroots appropriations of ‘smart’ technologies in urban settings are being studied as part of the KNOWING project (the knowledge politics of smart urbanism). Adrian Smith is studying […]
Spreading the word about grassroots innovation
A new briefing from the STEPS Centre, called Making Futures, includes a summary of some activities we’ve initiated in recent years to help spread the word about grassroots innovation. More […]
3S launch Key Insights to Making Sustainability Social
This week the 3S research group are launching our seven key insights resulting from our work on societal engagement with sustainability over the last five years. We believe these insights […]
GI briefing 25: Unleashing Grassroots Innovations
Unleashing Grassroots Innovations: A Quest For Community Currency Growth How can grassroots innovations grow, achieve their potential, and increase their influence? Gill Seyfang presents findings of a 3-year quest to […]
Research Briefing 24: FabLab and Hackerspace websites
In Research Briefing 24 Sabine Hielscher (SPRU) outlines initial impressions gained from an analysis of selected web-based materials on FabLabs and Hackerspaces in the UK to find out what type of […]
Postcards from Community Energy
Community energy is growing and making a difference. All around the country, more and more people are getting involved in projects that develop sustainable energy in their communities. Through awareness-raising […]
Research Briefing 23: Grassroots fabrication in makerspaces – report from a world café
On Thursday 10th April 2014 we organised a half-day World Café workshop in Copenhagen on the topic of grassroots fabrication in makerspaces. It formed one session within a wider conference […]
GI briefing 21: Constructing grassroots innovations for sustainability
Constructing grassroots innovations for sustainability: New research in the field Adrian Smith and Gill Seyfang introduce a new collection of academic papers on grassroots innovations, and discuss the origins and […]
GI briefing 20: Intermediaries and Community Energy Policy
Intermediaries and Community Energy Policy – Responding to changing policy contexts Jenn Monahan reports on how recent policy changes have affected community energy and how intermediaries have sought to influence […]
GI briefing 19: Policy Reform and Community Energy
Policy Reform and Community Energy: Key messages for the Community Energy Strategy Jim Watson draws lessons from the Community Innovation for Sustainable Energy research project to inform the development of […]
GI briefing 18: The Rise of Citizen Power Plants in Germany
The Rise of Citizen Power Plants in Germany: How do they emerge and spread? Anna Schreuer reports on her research into citizen power in Germany which provides an informative comparison […]
GI Briefing 17: A Global Community Currency Movement?
A Global Community Currency Movement? Unity and Diversity in Practice We present key findings of the GICC (Grassroots Innovations: Community Currencies) project’s analysis of the activities and characteristics of the […]
GI Briefing 16: The Community Energy Sector: Findings from the 2011 survey
Community energy has been supported by successive UK governments aiming to harness its potential to support sustainable energy transitions. Our survey of UK community energy groups aims to provide robust […]
GI Briefing 15: Community Currencies and Sustainability
Community Currencies and Sustainability: New economics objectives and orientations Community currencies have long been associated with the environmental movement, and in this briefing we identify various sustainability rationales for developing […]
GI Briefing 14: Mapping Community Currencies
Mapping Community Currencies: Varieties and Geographies This briefing presents new empirical evidence from the first international study of the scope and character of community currencies. It identifies the diversity, scale, […]
GI Briefing 13: The Global Spread of Community Currencies
The Global Spread of Community Currencies: International diffusion over the last 30 years We describe the geographical trajectory of grassroots currency movements over the last 30 years based on international […]
GI Briefing 12: Community Energy: Taking stock, moving forwards?
Community Energy: Taking stock, moving forwards? The CISE (Community Innovation for Sustainable Energy) project hosts an event to assess the impact of recent policy developments on the community energy sector. (March […]
GI Briefing 11: Community Energy Scenarios
Community Energy Scenarios: More than scenes from a fortune teller’s ball The CISE team have been thinking about community energy in alternative settings to develop community energy scenarios. We organised a […]
GI Briefing 10: Intermediation In Shifting Policy Contexts: Interviews with community energy actors
Intermediation In Shifting Policy Contexts: Interviews with community energy actors Sabine Hielscher reports on the findings of the CISE (Community Innovations for Sustainable Energy) project’s first fifteen interviews with community energy […]
Grassroots Innovations 