DOI

Summary
This study is concerned with a regional strategic mapping approach in the context of offshore renewable energy opportunities. The purpose of the study is to investigate the strategic challenges faced by coastal regions that are not ‘first movers’. This objective was derived from a recognition that there was a wealth of knowledge available for ‘first mover’ regions and little guidance for ‘second mover’ or ‘follower’ regions. The methodological approach curtails as a multiple case study analysis of behaviour of regional stakeholders when planning and assessing their participation in the renewable energy sector. The study was conducted on behalf of the European funded INTEREG Iva project, Channel-MOR. This project created a collaborative team of all the offshore renewable energy project teams funded by the INTERREG Channel, the inter-regional collective I the Channel area between the UK and France. The object the Channel-MOR was to produce recommendations on to member regions in order for local businesses to take advantage of Maritime Renewable Energy (MRE) opportunities.

Leseure et al begin the study by preforming a literature review on behavioural theory and its application in to stakeholder involvement. The methodology included the use of 6 teams producing strategic mapping and scenarios for 10 regions. Each region was assessed to what extent idealisation was an issue, why, and what were the impacts on strategic planning from a perspective of behavioural theory of the firm. Leseure et al then describes the Chanel-Mor project case study. The purpose of the project was to develop a strategic position analysis of each Channel region to identify the strategies so that local businesses could benefit from MRE opportunities. The survey of global experts was launched with 57 respondents successfully completing the survey. An altered SWOT analysis style survey was used.

Reminder that the aim of the Channel-Mor is to identify idealisation of MRE opportunities.

Extreme views or ‘points to prove’ candidates were omitted.
Only 2/10 regions assessed themselves objectively, without idealisation effects.
Despite reclassifying of most regions the SO and ST quadrant in figure 3, regional stakeholders responded with reference to original idealisation mapping of the region.
Even when presented with hard evidence, non-experienced participants held onto their idealised view of opportunities.
Participants acknowledged that their expectations of success in the MRE sector were at unrealistic levels.




Leseure et al describe the importance of regional  stakeholder coalitions including recommendations for:




Local opposition coalitions
Clustering coalitions
Technoentrepreneur coalitions
Technology specific coalitions
All energy coalitions




The causal explanation of idealisation is delivered in section 4.2.4, the impact idealisation: Search vulnerability follows and regions immune to idealisation follows that. Propositions are delivered at the end of the paper of which are presented in a graphical summary of contextualised explanations.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
The paper is relevant to the energy systems topic. It’s relevance to complex systems knowledge is limited but it does operate its assessment within a complex system of MRE development projects, regional stakeholders, policy and experts in the field. The objective of assessing the challenges associated with the uptake of renewable technology, particularly focussed in observations of idealisations of regional stakeholders requires a systems thinking approach.

There is no clearly significant opportunities to extract resources for teaching at HEIs apart from the general notion of idealisation hindering development of MRE.

 

Point of Strength
The paper could be used in replication of their objective and methodology in a different geographic location or context. Otherwise, it does not present any particular strengths.