Innovation for Sustainability

Frames, Missions and Transitions

Jonas Kreutzer

November 8, 2022

Learning Objectives

  1. Three Innovation Frames
  2. Mission Oriented Innovation Policy and Multi-Level Perspective
  3. Innovation in Transitions

Three Innovation Frames

Innovation Types

Innovation for what?

The nine planetary boundaries shown as a radial graph. Five are overshooting the safe operating space.

(Azote for Stockholm Resilience Centre,
based on analysis in Wang-Erlandsson et al. (2022))

Innovation for what?

Highly recommend the MOOC “Working for a sustainable future: concepts and approaches”

Misson Oriented
Innovation
Policy (MOIP)

image credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Scale of Sustainability Problems

Steffen et al. (2011)

If you have visions you should go see a doctor

Multi-Level Perspective

The Multi-Level Perspective of @geels2007TypologySociotechnicalTransition. At the top wavy lines, to the left the annotation Landscape developments. In the middle a diamond shape its corners annotated with 'Industrial Networks, strategic games; techno-scientific knowledge; culture, symbolic meaning; infrastructure; sectoral policy; markets, user practices; technology. On the left margin the annotation 'Socio-technical regimes'. From the shape arrows point to the right. In the middle these arrows are interrupted by a thick line coming form the bottom. On the right hand side the diamond shape is formed differently. The diamond is connected to the landscape waves above by arrows pointing in both directions. The same arrows are at the bottom. The bottom row has an annotation on the left reading 'Technological niches'. From right to left we see small arrows forming the thick line interrupting the regime. A small group of arrows labeled 'failed innovation' moves first up, then down, without forming a thick line. In the right bottom corner an arrow moving right to left is labelled 'Time'.

Geels and Schot (2007)

Typology of Transitions

Transformation

Technological Substitution

Reconfiguration

De-alignment and Re-alignment

Current Questions

Context

Time, Scale and Context Matters

Learning Objectives

  1. Three Innovation Frames
  2. Mission Oriented Innovation Policy and Multi-Level Perspective
  3. Innovation in Transitions

Innovation policy is not only economic policy. It is society policy.

Tip

Further reading Chaminade (2018) Advanced Introduction to National Innovation Systems

References

Chaminade, Cristina. 2018. Advanced Introduction to National Innovation Systems. Cheltenham, UK ; Northampton, MA, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Geels, Frank W., and Johan Schot. 2007. “Typology of Sociotechnical Transition Pathways.” Research Policy 36 (3): 399–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2007.01.003.
Steffen, Will, Åsa Persson, Lisa Deutsch, Jan Zalasiewicz, Mark Williams, Katherine Richardson, Carole Crumley, et al. 2011. “The Anthropocene: From Global Change to Planetary Stewardship.” AMBIO 40 (7): 739. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-011-0185-x.
Wang-Erlandsson, Lan, Arne Tobian, Ruud J. van der Ent, Ingo Fetzer, Sofie te Wierik, Miina Porkka, Arie Staal, et al. 2022. “A Planetary Boundary for Green Water.” Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 3 (6, 6): 380–92. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00287-8.