The sustainability transitions community is pushing the frontiers of knowledge at an impressive pace, developing sophisticated insights into the complex dynamics of systems change — from energy and mobility to industry and beyond.
But in the face of pressing societal challenges and tight timeframes for action, this knowledge risks becoming of little practical relevance if it doesn’t translate into guidance for key decision-makers, such as policymakers.
Spotlight on the Science-Policy Interface at the IST Conference
This was precisely the focus of one of the most thought-provoking sessions at last week’s International Sustainability Transitions Conference in Lisbon: the Plenary Panel Debate on the Science-Policy Interface.
One of the most prominent interventions of the entire conference, in my opinion, was that of Prof. Hans Bruyninckx, the former Director of the European Environment Agency.
He argued passionately that if we want knowledge to make a difference, we must invest in specialists who can act as connectors — people and organisations capable of bridging the worlds of science and policy.
“We need specialists that can work also as connectors […], in a context that desperately needs people who are able to connect the dots”
And far from being generalists, these connectors are specialists in their own right:
“Some people say: ‘Oh, you are a generalist.’ No, I am not a generalist. I am a specialist in systems thinking and how it is applied. It’s a specialisation in and of itself”
This perspective resonated deeply with me — both as a PhD researcher on industrial decarbonisation and as a practitioner at Inova, a consultancy that acts precisely at this intersection. Prof. Bruyninckx noted:
“Very few people do direct science-policy interface. There are organisations specialised in this, who have one foot in science. They have a knowledge base that is set up, stable, longitudinal, and specialised in talking to the policymaking side»
Inova is one of those organisations. But in Spain, and especially in Galicia, there is still a limited understanding of the role that such intermediaries can play in shaping sustainability transitions.
This may stem from limited exposure to the kind of knowledge the academic community is advancing — focused neither on utopian overhauls of capitalism nor on narrowing down the problem to simplistic market fixes, but on real innovation and transformation at the meso level, where policies, institutions, and practices co-evolve.
A European Example to Inspire Regional Action
A remarkable example of impact at this level is the 2019 EEA report Sustainability Transitions: Policy and Practice, which under Prof. Bruyninckx’s leadership, became a reference in shaping policy at the European Commission laying the foundations of the European Green Deal.
At Inova, we are working to bring that spirit of grounded, actionable knowledge into our own regional context. Through an interdisciplinary research project on the dynamics of industrial low-carbon transitions in Galicia, we are identifying the leverage points from which change can be steered and catalysed.
Special thanks to Natalia Nogueira, CEO of Inova, and Prof. Xavier Vence, scientific director of the project, for their strategic vision and leadership.
I hope this post sparks reflection and conversation among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in Spain. If knowledge is to guide transitions, we must strengthen the infrastructure of connection — and acknowledge the organisations, roles, and people who make that possible.
