Digital Dialogue on the Green Transition
The research explores how digital platforms can be used to strengthen the dialogue between industry and civil society. The aim is to create conditions for more inclusive and constructive conversations around complex societal challenges – such as the green transition.
The research is based on the need for improved dialogue between government, industry and society, and the realisation that digitalisation has radically changed the conditions for this interaction. Despite a lively public debate in digital channels and forums, our knowledge of the opportunities and risks of digital communication processes around complex societal issues is still limited.
The aim of this research is to investigate how the design of digital arenas affects the quality and outcome of dialogues. Particular focus is on the interrelations between political and social context, platform design, and the quality and outcomes of dialogues in two contentious policy areas: minerals and forests.
The research consists of three parts:
- 1. mapping and analysis: a systematic literature review is conducted, and digital communication spaces between industry, government and civil society are identified and analysed.
- 2. development and evaluation: Digital platforms for dialogue are created and evaluated in close cooperation with companies and organisations in the mineral and forest sector in northern Sweden.
- 3. results and models: The results are discussed with researchers and relevant stakeholders, and a model for the design of digital arenas is developed.
The study is multidisciplinary, combining expertise in political science and information systems, along with close collaboration with industry, organisations and civil society. Although the focus is on minerals and forests, the research problem has a general character, making the results relevant for other sectors. The project generates new scientific knowledge about one of the great challenges of our time: to increase participation and create constructive conversations about conflictual social issues in a digital era.
Funding for the research
The research is supported by projects funded by the Research Council Formas, the Marcus and Marianne Wallenberg Foundation, and grants from the Future Area SUN Natural Resources for Sustainable Societal Transformation at Luleå University of Technology.
Participating researchers
Contact
Annica Sandström
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