Upscaling of the renewable hydrogen economy: A study on complex adaptive systems

The renewable hydrogen economy is one of the potential solutions in the green transition by reducing the impact of carbon dioxide on society and planetary well-being, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors. This qualitative study examined the upscaling of the hydrogen economy through the lens of complex adaptive systems (CAS) to enhance stakeholder adaptability. The literature review identified central organising concepts that served as a framework for analysing empirical data. The central organising concept was adopted from the reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) method to support the analysis of empirical data. This paper proposes five distinct yet interconnected themes based on these central organising concepts. The findings aim to reveal the potential of a complex adaptive systems approach in the explorative context of the hydrogen economy and suggest directions for future research.