Understanding transformation patterns in different socio-technical systems – A scheme of analysis

Johan Miörner (), Christian Binz () and Lea Fuenfschilling ()
Additional contact information
Christian Binz: Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Switzerland
Lea Fuenfschilling: CIRCLE, Lund University

No 2021(11), GEIST - Geography of Innovation and Sustainability Transitions from GEIST Working Paper Series

Abstract: Transitions literature shows important gaps when it comes to specifying how, and why, transformation processes play out differently in different sectoral contexts. This paper develops a heuristic for analysing a socio-technical system’s inherent transformative potential and for comparing transition trajectories in different socio-technical systems with each other. The framework draws on insights from transition studies and organizational institutionalism to specify three features of a socio-technical system which shape its inherent transformative potential and most likely transition trajectories: the degree of institutionalization of socio-technical configurations, their coherence, as well as spatial characteristics of the system as a whole. The contribution of the paper is threefold: 1) it develops a systematic understanding of the basic characteristics of a sector’s socio-technical system and how they influence the likelihood, nature, and speed of transition processes; 2) it provides insights to whether and how lessons derived from one sector can be used for understanding transitions in others; 3) it guides the identification of places and spatial scales at which transitions unfold and where leverage points for transformative change lie in different sectors. The framework is illustrated with empirical examples from existing literature on the water- and urban mobility sectors.

Keywords: socio-technical systems; sector transformation; transition potentials; systemness; water; urban mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.geist-wp.com/papers/geist_wp_2111.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aoe:wpaper:2111

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in GEIST - Geography of Innovation and Sustainability Transitions from GEIST Working Paper Series
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Johan Miörner ().