Innovation system analysis - transition management
Responsible Jochen Markard
The development of new products and technologies is characterized by the interplay of numerous private firms, associations, universities, institutions and the like. Learning processes at different levels, e.g. within and between organizations, as well as the structure and performance of innovation networks are of key importance for the innovation process. Against this background, the innovation systems concept has turned out to be fruitful for the analysis of innovation processes.
The research group on innovation system analysis and transition management is concerned with the particularities of innovation processes in utility sectors and the potentials as well as limitations to guide these innovation processes towards sustainability. As a conceptual basis for our work we apply evolutionary theories in economics and the innovation systems approach (technological systems, sectoral systems of innovation).
The focus of our research is on the development and application of methods and theoretical concepts for the analysis of innovation systems. On this basis, we want to develop key elements of innovation and transition management (mainly at the level of industrial sectors).
Key research questions
- How do new products, technologies and services develop in utility sectors?
- Which factors or factor constellations typically drive radical innovations?
- How can the analysis of innovation systems be made operational, e.g. in order to measure performance or to compare different innovation systems?
- How can the role of different actors or actor groups in an innovation system be determined? How does the structure of innovation networks influence the performance and key functions of an innovation system?
- How might a comprehensive methodology for the analysis of innovation and transformation processes look like, which is adapted to the particularities of utility sectors?