Scaling actors’ perspectives about innovation system functions: Diffusion of biogas in Brazil

Abstract

Various technologies have been disseminated to digest organic waste, capture biogas and provide sustainable energy. Despite numerous efforts to diffuse biogas technology in Brazil, uptake remains slow. This may be due to low recognition among key actors that support the technology with resources in a wider Innovation System (IS). We explore how actors view the existence of this IS in Brazil and its fragmented context. To investigate actor views and perceptions, we employ a factor analysis and an item response model to map out system functionality. The analysis unveiled the existence of a non-balanced IS, awaiting to accelerate its expansion phase given current entrepreneurial activities, but remains impeded by limited resources and legitimacy. Actor responses indicate that for the expansion phase to accelerate, energy markets need to be established via state and federal support. These markets demand support from utility companies who influence the IS across multiple facets (e.g., public tender, tariffs, energy auctions). Ultimately, the expansion phase is hinged upon the creation of a national policy that includes short-term objectives for biogas shared between stakeholders and an outlined role for utility companies to integrate renewable energy sources.