The EU-funded REGACE Project was presented at the European Sociological Association (ESA) Conference 2024, held on 27-30 August 2024 in Porto, Portugal.
REGACE partners Andrea Volterrani of the University of Rome Tor Vergata and Maria Cristina Antonucci from the Italian National Research Council participated at a session entitled “Engaging with Technologies: Perceptions and Participation”, which took place on Wednesday, 28th August.
The session was devoted to exploring how societal perceptions of emerging technologies influence their adoption, and the critical role of participatory processes in shaping these perceptions.
Volterrani and Antonucci presented their paper “Reversing Risk Perception and Co-constructing Agri-photovoltaics Technology with Farmers: A Sociological Approach Based on the REGACE Project“.
The presentation reflected the initial findings of the Horizon Europe REGACE Project, which has been in progress for 18 months.
This paper focused on the role of technological innovations, particularly in eco-friendly sectors, arguing that these innovations are fundamentally reshaping industries, and their success is highly dependent on early and meaningful societal engagement.
The REGACE Project, focused on Agri-photovoltaic technologies, demonstrates the importance of involving key stakeholders—particularly farmers—early in the technological development process. This participatory approach ensures that innovations are not imposed from above but rather co-created with end-users, thereby increasing their acceptance and suitability for practical application.
Within this framework, disruptive innovations such as the Agri-photovoltaics model tested in REGACE—featuring CO2 enrichment of the soil and responsive tracking solar systems in greenhouses — necessitate more than mere technical deployment.
These technologies demand a comprehensive sociological approach that considers the values, preferences, and active participation of end-users. Through the implementation of participatory techniques, including focus groups and in-depth interviews.
The REGACE project fosters collaboration between farmers and researchers. This ensures that the technological solutions developed are not only technically effective but also socially sustainable and contextually relevant. By integrating technical, agricultural, and sociological methodologies, the project successfully bridges the gap between technological potential and its practical application, thereby promoting broader acceptance and integration into established agricultural practices.
The initial findings of the project indicate that farmers are generally open to adopting sustainable technologies, such as Agri-photovoltaics, and integrating them into their organizational models. However, they have also raised concerns regarding the economic viability, regulatory complexities, and challenges of integrating such technologies into their existing systems.
These findings underscore the need for supportive policy frameworks and streamlined regulatory processes to facilitate a smoother transition to the adoption of these innovations.
The REGACE project demonstrates that community-driven support and participatory co-design processes are instrumental in fostering successful technological adoption. Moving forward, the project aims to build upon these foundations to promote a more resilient and sustainable future for agriculture, benefiting both the environment and the farming community.
