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In this paper, we study sustainability transitions in agriculture and highlight several elements that distinguish transition dynamics in this sector from those more frequently studied in the socio-technical transitions literature. Our assumption is that ecological dimensions of agricultural systems affect transition dynamics. We illustrate this by focusing on two central characteristics related to biodiversity conservation: place-based embeddedness and the public goods’ character of biodiversity. A qualitative, multiple-case study was conducted on the Dutch dairy sector by carrying out 22 in-depth interviews. We show how change in the agricultural sector is strongly geographically embedded and dependent on regime actors who need to be enabled and incentivized to partake in the transition process. Due to the public goods’ character of biodiversity, there is a strong focus on the development of institutional novelty. Dynamics of change show a specific fit between ecological conditions and innovation.

The decarbonizing the heat sector is a major challenge in the energy transition in Germany and elsewhere. District heating systems could play an important role in this context. However, the diffusion of the technology in Germany has been very slow. The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the technological innovation system (TIS) to enhance understandings of the impediments to the diffusion of non-urban district heating systems. Due to its strong local context dependence, district heating can be understood as a configurational technology, and the TIS in which it is embedded as a configurational TIS. The paper contributes to the literature by developing policy suggestions that could lead to an acceleration of the diffusion of locally context-dependent technologies. The author recommends that policymaking in configurational TIS should aim at designing smart innovation system structures that can manage a high level of context specificity and facilitate vertical and horizontal knowledge exchange.

The technological innovation systems (TIS) literature and the strand of system building studies explain the role of networks in the strategic creation of favorable institutional conditions for sustainability transitions. To better understand collective system building, it is important to delve into the formation of networks composed of diverse organizations, including firms, as well as government and civil society organizations, such as alliances. In this paper, we propose an analytical framework for the study of factors that influence the formation of alliances, as well as the contribution of alliances to system building. To illustrate our analytical framework empirically, we conduct a case study of the Green Protein Alliance (GPA), a distinctive example of an alliance network aiming to promote the transition to plant-based diets in the Netherlands. The results highlight the importance of organizational motives, organizational resources, and relationships for the formation of alliances. These factors also influence the type and course of system building strategies, as well as the creation of system-level resources. Moreover, we argue that alliances between diverse types of organizations can provide opportunities to accelerate transitions by promoting the adoption of potentially beneficial innovations and sustainable consumption.

In the field of sustainability transitions, temporality has recently received increased attention, specifically with regard to understanding acceleration of transitions. Acceleration of sustainability transitions is needed, to minimize the risks of global crises, and so the question is how these transitions can be accelerated. To answer this question, we use the technological innovation systems (TIS) approach to better understand the underlying processes. The central argument of this paper is that the pace of development in TIS, which ultimately have an impact on sustainability transitions, strongly depends on the local context in which the technologies are embedded in. Technologies that are little context-dependent can be produced in series; they do not need to adapt to local contingencies and can be easily substituted by more efficient and up-to-date technology – in this paper we refer to these as generic technologies. Conversely, technologies that are strongly dependent on the local context always need to be configured with regard to specific local contingencies – we refer to these as configurational technologies. This differentiation has repercussions on the defining pillars of technological innovation systems: Higher local context dependence slows down the pace of development of configurational TIS. The differentiation is illustrated by comparing electricity and heat innovation systems in Germany. An analysis based on literature as well as empirical case studies shows that the rather generically structured Solar PV and onshore wind are developing faster toward decarbonization than the configurationally structured heat TIS. The distinction between generic technological innovation systems and configurational technological innovation systems is helpful to better understand innovation system development and design supportive policies.

We ask how incumbent car manufacturers and their political coalitions changed their political strategy with respect to the Californian zero emission vehicle mandate over the period 2000–2013. Building on the Corporate Political Activities literature we conceptualize firms’ political strategies and their underlying tactics and actions. Our longitudinal case study builds on a dataset comprising governmental reports, documents, and public hearing transcripts, letters from industry, and complementary interviews with stakeholders. We find that car manufacturers became less defensive over time and more proactive and compliant in their political strategies towards the zero emission vehicle mandate. Car manufacturers’ coalitions on the other hand, remain relatively defensive in their political actions as they continue to do the manufacturers’ “dirty work”. We provide insights in the Corporate Political Activities used to influence policymakers. To deal with industry opposition to policy interventions, our research suggests that policy makers might focus their interaction with industry on individual firms instead of industry associations, craft policies that stimulate competition between firms to break apart their closed industry front, and complement technology-forcing policies with demand-pull initiatives.

The ability of firms to influence environmental regulation has largely been overlooked in transition studies. We study how car manufacturers combine and change their innovation and political influence strategies in response to a technology-forcing regulation. We apply a conceptual framework on corporate responses to public innovation policy to the case of the zero emission vehicle mandate over the period 1990-2013. We use patent and sales data to operationalize the R&D and commercialization aspects of innovation strategies, while using corporate political activities data to operationalize political influence strategies. We find that first, car manufacturers used specific combinations of innovation and political influence strategies, depending on their value maintaining or value creating nature. Second, manufacturers changed their strategies and became more value creating over time, which supported socio-technical change. Third, we refine the available strategy typology by identifying subclasses in defensive (opposition and slowdown) and proactive strategies (shaping, support and progressive).

Trabajo presentado al 50 Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio celebrado en Madrid del 27 al 29 de Octubre de 2010., In this article we apply the functions of innovation systems framework to assess the appropriateness of this framework to characterise innovation activity in a mature sector. Functions analysis is based on idea that a well functioning innovation system requires that a number of key activities takes place. If this occurs, output of innovations is higher. Our analysis provides a deeper understanding of the role of innovation as a strategic option in a mature industry in the EU, in the context of globalisation. By applying this new theoretical approach to study innovation, highlighting the functions that the system requires should be fulfilled, we shown the constraints, inertias, challenges and opportunities that the innovation system of the tile in Castellón faces. The results show that the functional approach allows higher flexibility in order to recognise and analyse the opportunities and constraints that a given innovation system presents. As different agents and actors can adopt different roles it is important to retain flexibility in the recognition of the main functions rather than in categories of agents. Therefore, this study also demonstrates the utility of applying this approach outside the technological studies where it was developed.