Abstract ID: 3.12928 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

The theory of transformative social innovations (TSI) makes it possible to study the global transformations of middle-mountain (tourist) areas. These areas are subject to major social, economic and ecological concerns that need to be addressed using a holistic approach. According to this theory, transformative changes are the result of specific interactions between the four shades of change (social innovations, system innovation, narratives of change, game-changers) and their joint capacity to challenge/modify/replace dominant social relations, dominant systems and institutions, dominant rules of the game and dominant narratives and discourse. Furthermore, the transformations of the mid-mountain regions must be adapted to their specific local characteristics. To achieve this, innovations must be territorial (locally rooted) and transformative (with the capacity to establish themselves as a sustainable and desirable alternative). Many innovations and social initiatives have emerged in mid-mountain areas and are striving to offer alternatives to the dominant local socio-economic model, but there is a lack of effectiveness in transforming these areas. What are the levers and obstacles to transforming the dominant territorial system? How can we implement territorial institutional changes conjointly to transformative territorial innovations in order to bring about a transformation towards modes of territorial organization that are strongly socio-ecologically sustainable? The aim of this research is to establish what forms of governance might be favourable to structuring and collaboration between innovators, institutions, and the public sphere, enabling these territorial innovations to achieve their transformative potential.