The Right to Repair (R2R) movement seeks to challenge restrictive repair policies imposed by manufacturers, advocating for legislative measures that grant consumers and independent technicians access to repair tools, documentation, and spare parts. This project explores how the R2R movement can contribute to a transition towards a postgrowth society, in which technological and economic systems prioritize sustainability over perpetual growth.
Using controversy mapping, the research investigates the complexity of R2R debates, analyzing the diverse motivations, values, and strategies of activists, policymakers, and industry representatives. It examines how corporate lobbying and policy negotiations influence R2R legislation and identifies alternative policy frameworks that align with postgrowth principles.
By integrating insights from postgrowth economics, technology studies, and repair activism, the project challenges mainstream interpretations of R2R as a purely technical issue, highlighting its broader cultural, economic, and political dimensions. Ultimately, it aims to inform policies that promote repairability as a key strategy for sustainability, waste reduction, and consumer empowerment.
This project examines the Right to Repair (R2R) movement, focusing on its role in transitioning towards a postgrowth society—a model that redefines the relationship between consumers, manufacturers, and technology. It investigates how repair restrictions impact consumer rights, environmental sustainability, and economic structures, particularly in the European Union (EU).
Main Objectives:
- Analyze the R2R movement in the EU, identifying the diverse motivations, values, and socio-technical imaginaries that shape the demands of its advocates. This challenges the view of R2R as a unified ideological movement, revealing its complexity and diversity.
- Investigate interactions between R2R activists and EU institutions, assessing how corporate lobbying, grassroots activism, and policy-making shape the debate. The project explores why some R2R demands gain traction while others are sidelined.
- Develop a postgrowth framework for R2R policies, integrating insights from postgrowth economics and sustainability studies to propose alternative pathways for technology governance beyond economic growth dependency.
Through controversy mapping, qualitative interviews, and policy analysis, the project sheds light on the dynamics between activists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, offering practical recommendations for progressive R2R policies.