In January, academics Tomás Ariztía (Universidad Diego Portales, SERC) and Tomás Undurraga (Universidad Alberto Hurtado) participated in the XI Encuentro CTS-Chile, the largest interdisciplinary conference in the country, organised by the Chilean Network of Science, Technology and Society (CTS-Chile). In this instance, they presented the research “Technology fairs and energy futures: an ethnographic look at green hydrogen fairs and events”.
The research, based on ethnographic material from green hydrogen fairs in Chile since 2019, analysed how these spaces mobilise diverse visions of the future and normative horizons. Considered as ‘total social moments’, these technology fairs and congresses performatively represent the existence and value of different actors, artefacts and imaginaries of technological and economic change. Ariztía and Undurraga identified three key operations in these events: 1) the staging of the future through prototypes and demonstrations, 2) the staging of economic and environmental value, 3) the staging of different narratives and accounts of energy futures.
In doing so, Ariztía and Undurraga sought to contribute to the understanding of how technology fairs not only showcase innovations, but also function as platforms for discussing ongoing energy transitions. Their participation in the XI STS-Chile Meeting underlines the relevance of integrating ethnography into the study of science and technology, providing valuable insights into the role of these dynamics in the transformation of the energy sector.