Hydrogen and Energy Future(s) in South Tyrol: Sociotechnical Imaginaries between Common Visions and Debated Pathways

Currently, the implementation of strong hydrogen economies is increasingly seen as a pivotal element within new trajectories of decarbonization. However, it is neither neutral nor an independent process. Yet it is intimately entwined with, and shaped by, macro and micro processes, and specific eco-social territorial conditions. Reflexively, it profoundly reshapes the materiality and immateriality of the territorial contexts involved in its consolidation. In this complexity, understanding how normative and technical representations of the hydrogen economy converge or contrast with local communities and users' imaginaries and expectations is becoming increasingly relevant in order to address more sustainable pathways. Drawing upon the approach of Science and Technology Studies, and the analytical perspective of the Actor Network Theory, this contribution analyzes the composition of different – and at times diverging – sociotechnical imaginaries related with the launch of a local hydrogen economy in South Tyrol. South Tyrol is emerging as a significant region for the development of hydrogen technologies due to its unique geographical and political positioning. As an autonomous province in Italy with a strong focus on sustainability, South Tyrol is leveraging its renewable energy potential, particularly from hydroelectric power, to produce green hydrogen. This region's strategic location near the Alps also makes it a critical hub for trans-European energy corridors, positioning it as a key player in the hydrogen economy of both Italy and Central Europe. Sociotechnical imaginaries are shared visions which connect social groups’ differentiated ambitions and expectations with creativity and technological innovation systems by building upon (and being aware of) a specific social order in which project ‘desirable futures’, exclude or contrast undesired ones, or understand which ones are more realistically attainable. Accordingly, we offer an overview of the expected “hydrogen futures” in different local groups (institutions, businesses, environmental organizations, etc.) by discussing trajectories of convergence and contrast.