ABSTRACT
Regular models, dominated by economic models, struggle with the representation of multiple agents, scales, uncertainty and pluralism, and transition dynamics. Regular economic models are general equilibrium or optimisation models, fully price driven, with one type of actor that behaves in a rational manner. Transitions models should do better, and be able to capture the intricate dynamics of transitions, encapsulating phenomena as emergence, co-evolution and self-organisation, and tipping points. This means at the conceptual level the involvement of niche and regime agents, and the dynamics between these agents, also influenced by landscape signals. While regular traditional models fail in simulating transition dynamics, the new generation of transitions models is in its infancy. More than ever in these transitional times, there is a need for explorative transitions models that provide insights and guidance in highly uncertain and unstable times.
