If not framed in a broader strategy of territorialization stemming from the key territorial SSE actors, a CitESS risks being a top-down operation. It is necessary to work so that the pole fits into the territorial context and that they are designed directly by the territorial actors themselves.

Coping strategy: Favour a community-owned CitESS model

It is crucial to properly frame the CitESS set-up in a broader strategy of territorialization stemming from the key territorial SSE actors. A delicate and essential step is facilitating stakeholders’ agreement over a common and owned definition of SSE and of a CitESS charter of principles which suits the territory, its context and its communities.