A retrospective on the first Real-world Lab for the energy transition. Lessons learned on the transdisciplinary approach from SmartQuart

How can research on the energy transition be successfully organized in a transdisciplinary way? This design report analyzes the research and communication strategies of the first Real-world Lab for the energy transition, SmartQuart, and derives lessons learned based on the experience gained.Societal transformation processes, such as the energy transition, accompanied by fundamental social, economic, and political changes require research approaches capable of capturing complex sociotechnical interactions. Integrating regulatory sandboxes and Real-world Laboratories provides a methodological foundation for such interactions by incorporating scientific and nonscientific perspectives through transdisciplinary cooperation. This design report reflects the first Real-world Lab for the energy transition, SmartQuart, which was funded by the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie. It focuses on evaluating research and communication strategies in a consortium of science, industry, and municipalities, with a qualitative online survey of the project participants forming the empirical basis. The results show that an open communication culture, personal encounters, and flexible exchange formats contributed to successful cooperation. However, staff turnover, unclear definitions of objectives, and the lack of independent project management posed challenges. Based on the analyzed experiences, the report derives design-relevant lessons for future real-world labs for the energy transition.