About | Technology Transition Research

What we believe

The place is the whole argument

A technology only matters when it meets a person, in a place. Not the specification, not the pilot deck, not the aggregate figure. The daily arithmetic of the household, the shift, the field, the shop counter. That is where the Lab starts, and where it reports back to.

A packed audience in a modern glass-walled venue with black pendant lamps overhead, facing a presenter off-frame; the front rows are a mix of researchers, funders and practitioners of many nationalities, and a bilingual Japanese-English programme is visible on a screen at the back.

Two modes, one method

We publish our own research openly: articles on finance, electrification, and water access, and a signature typology of how new infrastructure engages the legacy regimes it enters.

We work under contract for organisations that need evidence they cannot generate themselves: field research, impact measurement, and the European projects that need an independent measurement partner.

What makes us different

Our stance

Social science first, technical literacy alongside

Two things that rarely sit in the same room. Social-science fieldcraft that finds out what is actually happening to people. And genuine technical understanding of the systems we study. Policy consultancies hold only the first; technical labs, only the second. The Lab refuses the split.

Where we work

Based in Delft, The Netherlands. Low-connectivity, multilingual, informal, dispersed settings. Through researchers and partners who already speak the language and know the place.

Delft station and Gemeente Delft building on a bright day: a modern glass structure with vertical fritted panels reflecting the sky, low canopies over the entrances and a paved plaza in front.

How we hold the work

Informed, recorded, revocable consent. Anonymisation by default. Findings that contradict a client's hopes are reported as carefully as those that support them. See Field Research for the full ethics practice.

The team

Celine

Legal Consultant and China Expert

Celine specialises in corporate, M&A and commercial matters. With legal experience in both the Netherlands and China, she advises on cross-border corporate issues between Europe and Asia. Her Chinese-Dutch background gives her a deep understanding of both business cultures, making her a trusted bridge between East and West. She helps brands, companies and institutions enter new markets, build local partnerships and grow their presence abroad. Precise, driven and committed, Celine goes the extra mile to get the deal done.

Connect with the Lab

If this reads close to a decision you are weighing, we would like to hear about it. A short note is enough to start.

Entering a new contextA first read of a market, technology or region. Measuring changeField measurement that connects action to outcome. Reporting to fundersEvidence packaged for the reader who will act on it.

Start a conversation → See case studies Read the articles

The Lab is an independent research team, not an advocacy organisation. We do not campaign, endorse products, or accept commissions where a finding is expected in advance. Where a partner's own theory of change is what needs testing, that is a legitimate engagement, and the Lab tests it honestly.