Sustainability transitions: an emerging field of research and its prospects

https://www.transitiepraktijk.nl/files/Hekkert_et_al_2007_%20functions_of_%20innovation_systems.pdf

Functions of innovation systems: A new approach for analysing technological change

What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields (Chinese Translation)

The multi-level perspective (MLP) has emerged as a fruitful middle-range framework for analysing socio-technical transitions to sustainability. The MLP also received constructive criticisms. This paper summarises seven criticisms, formulates responses to them, and translates these into suggestions for future research. The criticisms relate to: (1) lack of agency, (2) operationalization of regimes, (3) bias towards bottom-up change models, (4) epistemology and explanatory style, (5) methodology, (6) socio-technical landscape as residual category, and (7) flat ontologies versus hierarchical levels.

The multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions: Responses to seven criticisms

Background Newborn animal and human pilot studies suggest that mild hypothermia following peripartum hypoxia-ischaemia in newborn infants may reduce neurological sequelae, without adverse effects. Objectives To determine whether therapeutic hypothermia in encephalopathic asphyxiated newborn infants reduces mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental disability, without clinically important side effects. Search strategy The standard search strategy of the Neonatal Review Group as outlined in the Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2003) was used. Randomised controlled trials evaluating therapeutic hypothermia in term newborns with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy were identified by searching the Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library Issue Issue 2, 2003), MEDLINE (1966 to July 2003), previous reviews including cross-references, abstracts, conferences, symposia proceedings, expert informants and journal hand searching. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials comparing the use of therapeutic hypothermia with normothermia in encephalopathic newborn infants with evidence of peripartum asphyxia and without recognisable major congenital anomalies were included. The primary outcome measure was death or long-term major neurodevelopmental disability. Other outcomes included adverse effects of cooling and 'early' indicators of neurodevelopmental outcome. Data collection and analysis Three reviewers independently selected, assessed the quality of and extracted data from the included studies. Authors were contacted for further information. Meta-analyses were performed using relative risk and risk difference for dichotomous data, and weighted mean difference for continuous data with 95% confidence intervals. Main results Two randomised controlled trials were included in this review, comprising 50 term infants with moderate/ severe encephalopathy and evidence of intrapartum asphyxia. There was no significant effect of therapeutic hypothermia on the combined outcome of death or major neurodevelopmental disability in survivors followed. No adverse effects of hypothermia on short term medical outcomes or on some 'early' indicators of neurodevelopmental outcome were detected. Reviewer's conclusions Although two small randomised controlled trials demonstrated neither evidence of benefit or harm, current evidence is inadequate to assess either safety or efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia in newborn infants with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. Therapeutic hypothermia for encephalopathic asphyxiated newborn infants should be further evaluated in well designed randomised controlled trials.

Cooling for newborns with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.

Functions of innovation systems as a framework to understand sustainable technological change: Empirical evidence for earlier claims

In this paper we present a literature review of studies that have analysed the troublesome trajectory of different renewable energy technologies (RETs) development and diffusion in different, mainly European countries. We present an overview of typical systemic problems in the development of innovation systems around RETs. We make use of the literature on innovation system failures to develop a categorisation of typical systemic problems that hamper the development and diffusion of RETs. Based on this categorisation the paper suggests several policy recommendations to overcome the systemic problems and accelerate the diffusion and implementation of RETs.

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Why does renewable energy diffuse so slowly? A review of innovation system problems

Explaining the failure of the Dutch innovation system for biomass digestion : A functional analysis

This research aims to identify the institutional strategies of incumbent firms with regard to sustainable energy innovations that threaten their interests. This exploratory study contributes to the multi-level perspective by providing new insights into niche–regime interaction. The focus on actor behavior in transitions is informed by literature from institutional theory and strategic management. Based on semi-structured interviews with actors and on documents related to LED lighting and biofuels in the Netherlands, this study identified a preliminary set of empirical strategies: providing information and arguments to policy makers and the general public, as well as strategically setting technical standards. Incumbents are in a position to significantly influence the innovation's development by employing these strategies; thus temporarily keeping sustainable innovation on a leash. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

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Simona Negro

Papers

Functions of innovation systems: A new approach for analysing technological change

Functions of innovation systems as a framework to understand sustainable technological change: Empirical evidence for earlier claims

Why does renewable energy diffuse so slowly? A review of innovation system problems

Explaining the failure of the Dutch innovation system for biomass digestion : A functional analysis

Keeping sustainable innovation on a leash? Exploring incumbents’ institutional strategies