Royal Institute for Technology KTH is one of Europe’s leading technical and engineering universities, as well as Sweden’s largest technical research and learning institution. KTH is working with industry and society in the pursuit of sustainable solutions to some of humanity’s greatest challenges: climate change, future energy supply, urbanisation and quality of life for the rapidly-growing elderly population. Green Leap is a KTH research group in design and sustainable development. The goal of the group is to act as a catalyst for change by involving design in sustainable development. Central to their research approach is to use design methods as a creative and user-centered tool for innovation and transitions.

REDUCE is joined by the leader of Green Leap Professor Sara Ilstedt and Dr. Karin Ehrnberger, who will be leading and carrying out the tasks in WP 4 FUTURE SCENARIOS. In WP4 future scenarios incorporating new products, services and systems reducing plastic dependency will be created by applying a triangulation of methods. Firstly, Backcasting, the setting of a normative goal and a step by step plan on how to reach the goal, for example staging a life with no plastic. Secondly, Norm-critical design, creation of discursive “design things”, that is, products, services and scenarios that challenge the plastic norm and show alternative ways to perform everyday tasks, which will raise awareness of plastic in everyday life; thirdly, Designerly living labs, a real life prototype of a normative solution to explore these products, services and systems in everyday life during a longer period of time. The scenarios will be visual and tangible through the production of physical prototypes, installations, films, and other means of communication and visualisation. They will be exhibited at a REDUCE exhibition at DOGA in Oslo and at a suitable venue in Stockholm.