What was the purpose of our workshop?
On October 22, 2021, we held a workshop in Poznań as part of the research project Fair Transition to Electromobility: Oslo, Poznań, Utrecht, Bristol (ITEM – Inclusive Transition towards Electric Mobility) for interested local partners. The main objective of our project is to study the process of developing electric mobility in cities and to develop solutions so that the process meets the criteria of social justice. Poznan, along with Oslo, Utrecht and Bristol, is one of four European cities where research and activities on the design of equitable transport policies are being implemented.
As a Poznan team during the workshop, we were primarily interested in gathering data and opinions on electromobility from representatives working in various fields dealing with electromobility. Together we tried to answer two main questions: How and for whom to develop electric mobility in cities? How is it done in Poznan, and how in other European cities. Ultimately, we also wanted to find out what our local partners’ expectations are for the further course of the ITEM project.
Proceedings of the workshop
During the workshop, we had the honor of hosting experts from various fields, all connected by the common theme of electromobility. Among others, we worked with representatives of business (Municipal Transport Company). The second group were representatives of the public and scientific sector (Poznań City Hall, representatives of Adam Mickiewicz University, University of Szczecin, Ministry of Climate and Environment). Also in large numbers were representatives of the Youth Climate Strike and the Youth City Council.
At the very beginning of the workshop, we had the opportunity to learn about the opinions and personal choices of workshop participants on the future choice of electric-powered transportation. In turn, during the first stage of our discussions, we tried to answer the question ‘what does a fair transition to electric mobility mean in practice?’ Working in groups, workshop participants listed various elements, assigning them to the three pillars of justice: distributive, procedural and discretionary.
Another issue considered was the benefits and losses associated with the development of electromobility in Poznan and Poland. Summarizing this fruitful discussion, we concluded that the business focused on battery production will benefit the most, and – in the long run – society by cleaning up the city center. On the other hand, we diagnosed that the transition to electromobility will lose – although this should not happen – to the automotive industry and its employees, who will struggle with retraining, as well as the automation and robotization of work. The final conclusion reached was the demand for a holistic systemic change, encompassing all areas of life – from replacing cars with electric ones to values and concern for the environment.
The workshop also included a conference part, where the latest data on the development of electromobility in Poland and around the world was presented – with a special focus on the partner cities of the ITEM project (Oslo, Utrecht, Bristol). We had the opportunity to use this information in subsequent group discussions, during which we focused on the case of Poznan. We posed the question of how is and how should electromobility develop in this city?
Thanks to continuous brainstorming with such a diverse group of experts, we were finally able to consider how to complement further research of the ITEM project. What our local partners would most like to know is:
What is the tolerance level for introducing new regulations on electromobility?
What options for new policies and what timing is involved?
What options do we have for spreading knowledge, and what specific knowledge should be passed on?
The second demand was the need to transfer good practices from our foreign partners, so that it will be easier to implement changes locally and in the domestic area. In the end, we decided that we would design some of the further research tools together to make the data collection process as efficient as possible. As a Poznan project team, we are very much looking forward to further cooperation with you.
Your participation in the workshop, as leading experts and leaders in electromobility change, was an invaluable contribution to our better understanding of the processes taking place. On the basis of your cooperation and reflections, we will be able to better prepare further research and develop conclusions that will be valuable not only scientifically, but also practically. We believe that, in turn, your participation in the project has provided interesting knowledge, data and practical solutions on electromobility from different economic, infrastructural and cultural contexts. We also hope that it also allowed you to establish or deepen cooperation with local partners. Participation in results of which will be discussed in the scientific and industry literature and at meetings in various places in Europe. We look forward to further cooperation, the desire for which we felt during our joint workshop.
Finally, we would like to mention that the ITEM project is funded by the National Science Center and the European Union from the ERA-NET Urban Accessibility and Connectivity program. Its leader is the Institute of Transport Economics at the University of Oslo, and its partners are Utrecht University, Oxford University and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan together with the research company Heksagon Research.
