From June 19-21, 2024, the Workshop on the Ostrom Workshop (WOW) Conference convened in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. This year’s theme, “Commons, Polycentricity, & Democracy: Building upon 50 years of Ostrom Governance Research,” brought together scholars and practitioners from around the globe to explore the enduring legacy of the groundbreaking work of Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Economics. 

The WOW7 conference showcased theoretical, methodological, and empirical research, highlighting the diversity and depth of contemporary inquiries into governance and sustainability. Andreas Thiel and Nora Schütze from the University of Kassel organized several panels focused on polycentric governance at the conference, and delivered a presentation titled “Analysing a WEFE Nexus System in Portugal: Complementing Systems Thinking with Institutional Analysis.”

The presentation offered profound insights into the Portuguese Demonstration Project of BONEX, illustrating how integrating systems thinking with institutional analysis can enhance our understanding of Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus systems. The WOW7 conference not only honored the legacy of Elinor Ostrom but also fostered a collaborative environment where new ideas and approaches to governance were exchanged, setting the stage for future advancements in the field.