The World Cafe as an Instrument for Integration in Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research

This article describes and analyzes how the World Cafe can be applied for knowledge integration in the first phase of transdisciplinary research: In the project Renewable Energy Regions (EE-Regionen) the instrument was used to connect different groups of people (scientists and local actors from different backgrounds such as politics, business, conservation) with each other. Small groups discussed challenges related to achieving renewable energy self-sufficiency (RESS) together with experts from science and practice who had also been invited. On the one hand, the dialogue and exchange among the participants did help to provide concrete support for region-specific problems. On the other hand, where questions remained unanswered future research needs were concretized together and addressed in the following research process. In both cases, the collaboration created positive impulses for local actors and the scientists and laid the foundation for a productive transdisciplinary work atmosphere in the following project phases.