Lucas Somavilla Croxatto applies a variety of lenses to science, technology and innovation through research, education and policy engagement. Through interdisciplinary social science methods from ethnography, network analysis, organisational analysis, policy research and integrated assessments, he researches the boundary interfaces of global innovation networks. In particular, his work has focused on the interplay between global environmental governance architectures, complex systems and agency with attention to the role of expert knowledge, new technologies, innovation frameworks and the travel of meaning and uncertainty across international organisations addressing climate futures.
Lucas has a strong understanding of knowledge systems, public policy and management, research methods and analytical skills to science and technology studies and the study of strategies and innovation policy on time, process design, futures and uncertainty. Lucas has successfully applied different theories and research methods to advance sustainability transitions and is a highly accomplished interdisciplinary researcher concerned with the role of science, technology and engineering innovation in decision-making, particularly in matters related to climate change.
Lucas’ work challenges the simplistic assumptions that technological developments and innovations can exist outside of socio-cultural practices and strongly proposes that social, cultural and political play a significant role in sustainability governance. His research has taken place in various settings, including at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission in Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and several international development programmes (Latin America, Asia and Africa).
He formed part of the project Deltas’ Dealings with Uncertainty (ORA/ESRC), where he contributed to the understanding of global networks mobilising climate and hydrological expertise, anticipatory practices, technologies and environmental policies from Europe to South-East Asia (UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Thailand & Myanmar). Lucas has a deep understanding of international cooperation in the context of climate change. He has been involved in the UNFCCC process participating in the technology negotiations under the Paris Agreement and broader involvement in international development and cooperation programmes with links to academia, the public sector, and industry.
He currently works as a Research Fellow at UCL’s Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) Themes: Global environmental governance, innovation, knowledge networks, sustainable development policy, climate change, paradigm shifts and transformations, futures, anticipatory governance, uncertainty. Associated Research Lenses: Architecture, Agency, Anticipation and Imagination