Matea – Materials for the energy transition

The Matea project aims to take a fresh, critical look at the place of mountain territories in their participation in energy transitions. It will also seek to define the intrinsic values given to the territory: extractive and/or tourist and/or environmental.

Through a multidisciplinary approach, it proposes to question the materialities of transition in mountain territories through an analysis of :

– the development of extractive processes (raw materials and so-called renewable energies, i.e. solar and hydroelectric power) and associated infrastructures

– the place of mountain regions in national and global production systems

– values associated with mountain areas by local populations

Based on several study sites – the Atacama and Uyuni high plateaus (Chile, Argentina, Bolivia) and the Godlfields Esperance in the Stirling Range (Western Australia) – this project will take a fresh look at the materialities of transitions. A first line of research on the cultural and sensitive relationships between societies and mountain environments will shed light on possible definitions of the concept of transition. A second axis will examine the resources available and the socio-technical choices made during transitions, as well as the implications for the organization of the territories studied. A final section will analyze the global production networks of these resources.