The role of regulation for socio-technical transformations

Knut Blind

Chapter 21 in The New Role of the State for Transformative Innovation, 2026, pp 347-359 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Regulation is essential for socio-technical transformations but has not yet been analyzed systematically and in depth in this context. Based on a literature review, six policy intervention points for the transformation of socio-technical systems are used to structure the potential contributions of different types of regulation, classified into institutional, social, and economic regulation. Insights from the literature and anecdotal evidence reveal that various kinds of regulation can play an essential role in niche stimulation. Other types of regulation are more effective for destabilizing whole regimes and addressing possible repercussions. Rigorous regulatory framework conditions can be crucial in tilting the entire landscape. The chapter concludes with limitations addressing the critical role of self-regulation via standards, the international dimension of regulations, and anticipatory regulation, for example, via regulatory foresight and regulatory sandboxes.

Keywords: Socio-technical Regimes; Transformation; Transition; Innovation; Regulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781839100253
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.elgaronline.com/doi/10.4337/9781839100260.00031 (application/pdf)
Our link check indicates that this URL is bad, the error code is: 403 Forbidden

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:elg:eechap:19424_21

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.e-elgar.com

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Jack Sweeney ().