Analysis of place-based factors in transitions through the lens of a transition space: Insights from Finland’s emerging battery industry

Abstract

Battery production plays a crucial role in Europe’s electrification of mobility and production facilities are expected to play an essential role in European value chains in the future. However, this new trend in energy transition raises the question of how individual places and regions can tap into these developments and operationalise multilevel transitions based on their existing capabilities and assets. The purpose of the article is to advance the nascent theorising on the concept of transition space in the geography of transitions literature by studying place-based factors and their various interactions with transition levels. The authors studied the ongoing development of the GigaVaasa battery factory site located in Finland’s Vaasa region to explore which factors appeared most relevant in transitions and at which transition levels those factors manifested. The results indicate that place-based factors connect with different transition levels in a transition space, thus enhancing their possibilities for leveraging transition pathways. The authors conclude that strategic planning and the ability to mobilise stakeholders for systemic agency form a critical starting point for successful transition space management.