Presentación utilizada por Adrian Smith, investigador de la universidad de Sussex, en el diálogo (im)probable organizado en el itdUPM sobre la teoría de las transiciones

1. Socio-technical transitions to sustainability
Adrian Smith
Professor of Technology & Society
Science Policy Research Unit
University of Sussex
itdUPM 28 Noviembre 2017

2. Transition imperatives? A UK illustration
184
134
103
108
98
42
2006 emissions
International aviation
& shipping*
UK non-CO2 GHGs
Other CO2
Industry (heat &
industrial processes)
Residential &
Commercial heat
Domestic transport
Electricity Generation
* bunker fuels basis
2050 objective
159 Mt CO2e
695 Mt CO2e
77% cut
(= 80% vs. 1990)

3. Sustainable developments?

4. Systems perspective on transitions
(after Weterings et al., 1997)

6. 1. Norms and routines of engineers, developers, supply chains
2. Business models and markets
3. Economies of scale and positive network externalities
4. Infrastructures for connecting things
5. Institutions for coordinating and reproducing systems
6. Consumer habits and social practices
7. Political power and access to decision-making
These interacting processes effectively lock-out the spread of sustainable innovations.
Innovation policy for sustainability needs to attend to these structural impediments,
e.g. regulations, redirected investment, new market rules.
Need to create spaces less susceptible to these processes where radical innovation
can be developed
Inelastic systems ‘lock-in’ through co-evolving path-dependencies:
Locking-in to unsustainability: socio-technical regimes

7. Niche-based approaches
Create green niches to experiment with a ‘vision’ for the sustainable regime they
might prefigure. Green niches:
• Create new knowledge and diversity
• Improve socio-technical performance
• Provide resources and nurture markets
• Explore future potential
• Build supportive constituencies and legitimacy
• Understand sustainability differently
Model of development: early idealists, systems builders, then mainstream interest.
Niche growth displaces unsustainable regimes under tension

8. Multi-actor socio-technical configurations
Geels (2002)

9. Transition analysis: a multi-level perspective
TimeTime
Landscape developments
put pressure on existing regime,
which opens up,
creating windows
of opportunity for novelties
Socio-technical regime is ‘dynamically stable’.
On different dimensions there are ongoing processes
New configuration breaks through, taking
advantage of ‘windows of opportunity’.
Adjustments occur in socio-technical regime.
Elements are gradually linked together,
and stabilise in a dominant design.
Internal momentum increases.
Learning processes take place on multiple dimensions.
Different elements are gradually linked together in a seamless web.
New socio-technical
regime influences
landscape
Technological
niches
Socio-technical’
landscape
Socio-
technical
regime
Technology
Markets, user
preferences
Culture
Policy
Science
Industry
Source: Geels (2002)

11. EEA, 2016
Smart CSOs

12. Transition governance
Landscape devel opment s
put pressure on exi st i ng regi me,
w hi ch opens up,
creat i ng w i ndow s
of opport uni t y for novel t i es
Soci o-t echni cal regi me i s ‘dynami cal l y st abl e’.
O n di fferent di mensi ons t here are ongoi ng processes
N ew confi gurat i on brea
advant age of ‘w i ndow s
A dj ust ment s occur i n s
El ement s are gradual l y l i nked t oge
and st abi l i se i n a domi nant desi gn
Int ernal moment um i ncreases.
Technological
niches
Socio-technical’
landscape
Socio-
technical
regime
Technol ogy
Market s, user
preferences
Cul t ure
Pol i cy
Sci ence
Indust ry
Source: Geels (2002)
Pressure on regime
to become sustainable
Empowering environmental
awareness and values
Visions for
sustainable energy
systems
Visions for
sustainable energy
systemsVisions for
sustainable energy
systems
Socio-technical
niches
Socio-technical
niches
Socio-technical
niches
Socio-technical
niches
Learning / process
Politics / substance

13. Transition governance
Landscape devel opment s
put pressure on exi st i ng regi me,
w hi ch opens up,
creat i ng w i ndow s
of opport uni t y for novel t i es
Soci o-t echni cal regi me i s ‘dynami cal l y st abl e’.
O n di fferent di mensi ons t here are ongoi ng processes
N ew confi gurat i on brea
advant age of ‘w i ndow s
A dj ust ment s occur i n s
El ement s are gradual l y l i nked t oge
and st abi l i se i n a domi nant desi gn
Int ernal moment um i ncreases.
Technological
niches
Socio-technical’
landscape
Socio-
technical
regime
Technol ogy
Market s, user
preferences
Cul t ure
Pol i cy
Sci ence
Indust ry
Source: Geels (2002)
Pressure on regime
to become sustainable
Empowering environmental
awareness and values
Visions for
sustainable energy
systems
Visions for
sustainable energy
systemsVisions for
sustainable energy
systems
Socio-technical
niches
Socio-technical
niches
Socio-technical
niches
Socio-technical
niches
Whose lessons should
drive future adaptations?
Whose visions count?
How to redistribute
commitments from regime to
niches?
How to destabilise the regime?
Where does all this take place?
Which niches to support; whose criteria?
Learning / process
Politics / substance

14. Más información:
Smith, A. and R. Raven (2012) What is protective space? Reconsidering niches in
transitions to sustainability, Research Policy 41: 1025-1036
Smith, A., Voss, J-P and J. Grin (2010) Innovation studies and sustainability
transitions: the allure of the multi-level perspective and its challenges, Research
Policy, 39, 4: 435-448

15. Evolutionary ideas in strategic niche management
after Geels and Raven, 2006; Markard and Truffer, 2008
Niche ‘protective space’
Shielding (active & passive):
socio-cognitive; markets;
institutions; infrastructures;
users; cultural associations;
policy
Empowering the niche:
- fit & conform
(competitiveness);
- stretch & transform
(institutionalisation)Nurturing niche
development:
- shared expectations
- actor networks
- social learning