Change into a low carbon innovator or entrepreneur

 Fred Steward, professor of Innovation and Sustainability at the Policy Studies Institute in London.

 ‘Pioneers into Practice is a new programme that focuses on the person based capabilities needed for the transition to a low carbon society. Through a network of European regions it addresses two broad arenas: low carbon mobility and low carbon living. Staff working on innovation projects in these arenas are placed for periods in different types of organisations working in contrasting but related fields in society. For example: a university based fuel cell researcher might spend time in a city authority transport department. At the same time there are intensive workshops to learn about transitions thinking. I think PIP is an exciting programme which addresses an obvious but unmet need. Traditional specialised education does not create the breadth need to enable transitions. The urgency of the climate change challenge means we need to change the outlook of experienced professionals in the near term.'

‘During the programme a participant at Pioneers into Practice should change  identity from a specialist in a particular field, for example transport manager, into a low carbon innovator/entrepreneur in a mobility or living field. We need a new generation of people who understand about transitions in a diversity of organisations throughout Europe. Because, everything we know about successful innovation shows the central importance of people. I expect the programme Pioneers into Practice to play a key role in this development. PIP contributes a practitioner strand to the development of the newly formed European Transitions Network. It brings the mission of sustainable transitions in parts of Europe that have so far been untouched by this idea's. The perspective is that within a period of three years 300 people a year will be going through the programme of Pioneers into Practice.'

 ‘ The core ideas of transition thinking demand for a different type of innovation policy. One which addresses challenge led systemic innovation for sustainability. Most national innovation programmes are technology driven, singular and competitive in orientation. The most encouraging opportunities for transition practices are in places, regions, towns and neighbourhoods. System changes of mobility and living have much more meaning at the local level. I see the pioneer innovators of the low carbon transition to be much more grounded in real places.'