Behind the scenes of industrial change – Change agency and system function linkages

Abstract

ABSTRACT Green transformation of industry and society is high on the research and policy agenda. The article presents a proposal for a theoretical framework for studying technological change based on the employment of system functions drawn from the literature on technological innovation systems in conjunction with existing theorisation on regional restructuring and change agency. The empirical focus of this article is on the Grenland region in Norway, a thick and specialised region that focuses on the ‘greening’ of traditional industries. The empirical data were gathered through an in-depth case study of the ongoing restructuring process in Grenland and further by adopting a path tracing methodological approach building on interviews held with key actors, in addition to desk research. The findings revealed how the restructuring process in Grenland can be broken down and understood by empirically examining links between different types of change agency and the utilisation of system functions. The author concludes that the findings provide important insights into the theoretical debate on how agency on a micro-level relates to institutional evolution and structural change.