Karoline Augenstein is co-leader of the junior research group UrbanUp. In the project, she analyzes the role of narratives in sustainability transitions towards an Urban Sharing Society. Her research interest is focused on the socio-cultural dimension of technological change in the context of digitalization and the sharing economy: How can narratives help reduce complexity and offer orientation in complex processes of change? What role do narratives play in governance processes including different kinds of actors with conflicting positions and values?

Addressing these questions, she builds on previous work as a research fellow at the Wuppertal Institute (2010-2017), where she did research on socio-technical transitions in the field of sustainable mobility. Previously, she studied in Maastricht (B.A. European Studies) and Oldenburg (M.A. Sustainability Economics and Management). Karoline Augenstein holds a PhD from the University of Wuppertal (doctoral thesis on “E-mobility as a Sustainable System Innovation”). Since November 2017 she is junior professor for “Policy analysis, transformation research and sustainability” at the University of Wuppertal.