Towards an integration of socio-technical transitions and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Contemporary societal systems are faced with an array of grand sustainability and sustainable development challenges. Mandates to transition these systems to more sustainable configurations have become widely institutionalised through global targets such as the Sustainable Development Goals presented by the United Nations. Socio-technical Transitions (STTs) are a demanded topic in sustainability discourse due to the possibilities that they present in the analysis of contemporary systems in transition to more sustainable states. The incorporation of the human ‘socio’ aspects with technology aspects which is distinct to socio-technical studies is a key proponent to harnessing technologies for society’s good as the modern world thrives off technological advancement. Furthermore, sustainability and sustainable development analysts highlight those digital revolutions are a key contributor to global systemic transformations. The contemporary world is currently undergoing a fourth industrial revolution which is changing the nature and functioning of global systems. The rise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) presents possibilities for contemporary societal systems in the quest to sustainability and sustainable development. Both the 4IR and the STTs have evident connections to sustainability and sustainable development; therefore, an integration of the concepts is envisaged to further support the quest for sustainability and sustainable development in contemporary societal systems. However, on investigating the extent to which these concepts have been jointly analysed within academic literature, it was found that these concepts are not sufficiently integrated. Furthermore, literature that attempts some extent of analysing the concepts together was found to hold theoretical disconnects and conceptual gaps. This research is designed to provide a premise on which the 4IR and STTs are integrated with the ultimate aim of contributing to the effective and efficient transition of societal systems. The research employs existing theoretical and conceptual research on the 4IR and STTs to infer and demonstrate an integration between the concepts. The research is therefore a non-empirical, qualitative study that utilises both inductive and deductive approaches in an investigative or exploratory manner. The aim of this research is achieved through the development of an Integrated Fourth Industrial Revolution and Socio-technical Transitions Framework (I4IR-STT framework). The framework is conceptual in nature and is developed following requirement specifications constructed from deductions made through the gaps and disconnects identified in existing academical literature. The framework has three key features i.e., transition aspects, technology aspects and relationships. Given the conceptual and generic nature of the framework, it is accompanied by practical utility in the form of an operationalisation strategy to enable a user to apply the framework to a societal system of interest. The I4IR-STT framework was evaluated in three ways: first, with subject matter experts in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Socio-technical Transitions fields, second through an illustrative case study application of the framework and third through an assessment of the framework against the requirement specifications for its development. Experts verified the theoretical correctness and reasonableness of the framework’s content. A self-assessment of the framework against its requirements specifications demonstrated that the framework met the stipulated requirements for its development. Finally, the illustrative case study demonstrated the applicability, practicability and usability of the framework through its operationalisation strategy. The overall evaluation of the framework demonstrates that the framework achieves the stated research aim and provides a premise for the integration of the 4IR and STTs.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kontemporêre samelewingsisteme word gekonfronteer met 'n verskeidenheid groot volhoubaarheid- en volhoubare ontwikkelingsuitdagings. Mandate om hierdie stelsels oor te skakel na meer volhoubare konfigurasies het wyd geïnstitusionaliseer geraak deur wêreldwye doelwitte soos die Verenigde Nasies se Doelwitte vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling. Sosio-tegniese oorgange (STT's) is 'n prominente onderwerp in volhoubaarheidsdiskoers as gevolg van die moontlikhede wat dit bied in die ontleding van kontemporêre sisteme in oorgang na meer volhoubare kondisies. Die inkorporering van die menslike 'sosio'-aspekte met tegnologiese aspekte - wat onderskei word van sosio-tegniese studies - is 'n sleutelvoorstander tot die inspanning van tegnologie vir die samelewing se voordeel, aangesien die moderne wêreld van tegnologiese vooruitgang floreer. Verder beklemtoon ontleders van volhoubaarheid en volhoubare ontwikkeling dat digitale revolusies 'n sleutelbydraer is tot globale sistemiese veranderinge. Die hedendaagse wêreld ondergaan tans 'n vierde industriële revolusie wat die aard en funksionering van wêreldwye stelsels verander. Die opkoms van die Vierde Industriële Revolusie (4IR) bied moontlikhede vir kontemporêre samelewingsisteme in die strewe na volhoubaarheid en volhoubare ontwikkeling.Beide die 4IR en die STTs het duidelike verbintenisse met volhoubaarheid en volhoubare ontwikkeling. Om hierdie rede, word 'n integrasie van die konsepte in die vooruitsig gestel om die strewe na volhoubaarheid en volhoubare ontwikkeling in kontemporêre samelewingsisteme verder te ondersteun. In die ondersoek van die mate waartoe hierdie konsepte gesamentlik binne akademiese literatuur ontleed is, is dit egter gevind dat die integrasie van hierdie konsepte nie voldoende is nie. Verder is dit gevind dat literatuur wat tot 'n mate probeer om die konsepte saam te analiseer, teoretiese ontkoppelings en konseptuele gapings inhou. Dus is hierdie navorsing is ontwerp om 'n uitgangspunt te verskaf waarop die 4IR en STT's geïntegreer word met die uiteindelike doel om by te dra tot die effektiewe en doeltreffende oorgang van samelewingsisteme. Die navorsing gebruik bestaande teoretiese en konseptuele navorsing oor die 4IR en STTs om 'n integrasie tussen die konsepte af te lei en te demonstreer. Die navorsing is dus 'n nie-empiriese, kwalitatiewe studie wat beide induktiewe en deduktiewe benaderings op 'n ondersoekende of verkennende wyse benut. Die doel van hierdie navorsing word bereik deur die ontwikkeling van 'n Geïntegreerde Vierde Industriële Revolusie en Sosio-tegniese Oorgangsraamwerk (I4IR-STT raamwerk). Die raamwerk is konseptueel van aard en word ontwikkel volgens vereiste spesifikasies wat saamgestel is uit afleidings wat gemaak is deur die gapings en ontkoppelings wat in bestaande akademiese literatuur geïdentifiseer is. Die raamwerk het drie sleutelkenmerke, naamlik oorgangsaspekte, tegnologie-aspekte en verhoudings. Gegewe die konseptuele en generiese aard van die raamwerk, gaan dit gepaard met praktiese bruikbaarheid in die vorm van 'n operasionaliseringstrategie om 'n gebruiker in staat te stel om die raamwerk op 'n samelewingsisteem toe te pas. Die I4IR-STT-raamwerk is op drie maniere geëvalueer: eerstens met vakkundiges in die Vierde Industriële Revolusie en Sosio-tegniese Oorgangsvelde; tweedens deur 'n illustratiewe gevallestudietoepassing van die raamwerk; en derdens deur 'n assessering van die raamwerk se vereiste spesifikasies. Kenners het die teoretiese korrektheid en redelikheid van die raamwerk se inhoud geverifieer. 'n Selfevaluering van die raamwerk teenoor sy vereiste spesifikasies het getoon dat die raamwerk aan die gestelde vereistes voldoen. Laastens, die illustratiewe gevallestudie het die toepaslikheid, uitvoerbaarheid en gebruikbaarheid van die raamwerk deur sy operasionaliseringstrategie gedemonstreer. Die algehele evaluering van die raamwerk demonstreer dat die raamwerk die gestelde navorsingsdoelwit bereik en 'n uitgangspunt bied vir die integrasie van die 4IR en STT'e