Japan is faced with sustainability challenges such as resource security and depopulation. Well-coordinated, multifaceted actions including a shift from imported fossil to locally available renewable resources and empowering of rural areas are vital in tackling these challenges. Here, we present our co-learning approach to practice the multifaceted actions with a case study on Tanegashima, an isolated Japanese island. In these actions, thorough understanding of the feasible technologies, the locally available resources, and the socioeconomic aspects of the local community should be shared among the stakeholders to acquire the momentum for a change. In addition to the technoeconomic analysis, several other analyses were conducted to reveal the concerns of respective stakeholders, share the understandings on the possibilities of technology options, and their socioeconomic implications on local sustainability. Tools such as the life cycle assessment, input–output analysis, and choice experiments based on questionnaire surveys on the residents' preferences are used for the analyses. The stakeholders were provided with the results during a 5-year period, through more than 30 co-learning events, e.g., symposiums, seminars, and workshops. A total of ca. 1400 participants from residents, local industries, public organizations, and a high school joined these events. These opportunities gradually converted the concerns of the local stakeholders on their future regional energy systems into expectations and yielded constructive alternatives in technology implementation that can use the locally available resources. The changes in residents’ mind set through the co-learning processes induced by the contributions of the outsiders, providing professional insights acquired from the analyses and through the interactions with local stakeholders were examined in this study. This study demonstrates that the holistic incorporation of scientific technology assessments into co-learning can help coordinate the collaboration between researchers and local stakeholders toward regional transformation.

中文翻译：

---

技术评估在区域转换共同学习中的应用：以种子岛生物质能系统为例

日本面临着可持续发展方面的挑战，例如资源安全和人口减少。协调一致，多方面的行动，包括从进口化石转变为当地可利用的可再生资源，以及赋予农村地区权力，对于应对这些挑战至关重要。在这里，我们以一个孤立的日本岛屿种子岛为例，介绍了我们的共同学习方法来实践多方面的行动。在这些行动中，利益相关者应共享对可行技术，当地可用资源以及当地社区社会经济方面的透彻了解，以获取变革的动力。除了技术经济分析之外，还进行了其他一些分析，以揭示各个利益相关者的担忧，分享对技术选择可能性的理解，及其对当地可持续性的社会经济影响。分析使用了诸如生命周期评估，投入产出分析以及基于针对居民偏好的问卷调查的选择实验之类的工具。通过30多次共同学习活动，例如研讨会，研讨会和讲习班，在5年内为利益相关者提供了结果。共约。来自居民，当地工业，公共组织和一所高中的1400名参与者参加了这些活动。这些机会逐渐将当地利益相关者对他们未来的区域能源系统的关注转化为期望，并在技术实施中产生了建设性的替代方案，可以利用本地可用资源。在这项研究中，通过外部学习者的共同学习过程，通过分析获得的专业见解以及与当地利益相关者的互动提供的共同学习过程，改变了居民的思维定式。这项研究表明，将科学技术评估整体纳入共同学习中可以帮助协调研究人员和地方利益相关者之间的协作，以实现区域转型。