Abstract
The system of mobility currently faces severe challenges. Particularly in cities, strategic interventions are made to support a transition towards sustainable mobility. Incumbent actors from the car industry are often invited to play a key role in such initiatives. The Stuttgart region is supported with public money to become a model region of sustainable mobility because it is base to key actors of the German car industry. This paper examines the locus of agency in such a “transition arena”. How do key actors frame the challenge of sustainable mobility? What role is attributed to public policy at various governance levels and to the “local” industry, respectively? In the case of the Stuttgart region, we find a high ability of key industry actors to reframe transition initiatives for sustainable mobility and align public policy with their interests—particularly in local, i.e., place-bound contexts. This underlines the need for transition studies to pay more attention to the agency of incumbent actors and their capacity to absorb sustainable alternatives without changing dominant industry structures.
Highlights
It is widely recognized that fundamental shifts are required in the way energy and means of mobility are provided and used
We examine one of the nine German model regions for e-mobility to identify the dynamics of this very specific interplay between industry and politics which frame and institutionalize research and development for a sustainable mobility future
The basic story-line of this coalition is: Our regional car industry is the backbone of our wealth, meaning that nobody dares to challenge it. Participating in this coalition are the main car manufacturers and the suppliers closely intertwined with them, and politicians at regional, state and federal level. This political support may shield the industry from possible political interventions, e.g., by ruling out activities towards sustainable mobility that are not aligned with their interest in selling large quantities of high value cars
Summary
It is widely recognized that fundamental shifts are required in the way energy and means of mobility are provided and used. The car industry has a key stake in this debate It has so far shown a remarkable capacity to withstand transition pressures and retain its dominant position and business models (see [12]), an image of incumbent regime actors who are just defending the status quo, while niche actors and new market entrants attempt to introduce change, is misplaced. We expect to clearly see in this region how actors from a key industry of national importance are able to react to expectations of change (e.g., towards more sustainable systems of mobility) without having to compromise on profits derived from their traditional business model (despite it being widely perceived as unsustainable).
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