Unpacking policy processes for addressing systemic problems in technological innovation systems: The case of offshore wind in Germany

Kristin Reichardt,Karoline S Rogge,Simona O Negro

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.280

Kristin Reichardt, Karoline S Rogge + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.05.280

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Abstract

While empirical studies on technological innovation systems (TIS) usually focus on policy instruments and their suitability for curing identified weaknesses of such emerging systems, the underlying policy processes and their effects have been largely disregarded. We address this gap by exploring the style of two crucial policy-making processes and how it influences the functioning and performance of a TIS, taking the case of offshore wind in Germany. Our findings indicate important positive and negative impacts of the policy style on the TIS. For example, the muddling through character apparent in one of the policy processes negatively influenced entrepreneurial activities, knowledge development and finally technology diffusion, whereas the participatory nature of both processes had a positive impact both on TIS functioning and performance. Based on our findings we derive implications on how to improve policy making so as to foster the development of an emerging TIS.

Highlights

Analyses of technological innovation systems (TIS) focus on emerging technologies often in early phases of development (e.g. [32])
The muddling through character apparent in one of the policy processes negatively influenced entrepreneurial activities, knowledge development and technology diffusion, whereas the participatory nature of both processes had a positive impact both on TIS functioning and performance
Our analysis of policy processes in TIS suggests that such processes impact the functioning and performance of emerging TIS

Summary

Introduction

Analyses of technological innovation systems (TIS) focus on emerging technologies often in early phases of development (e.g. [32]). Typical for these early stages is the existence of a number of failures hindering the development and diffusion of the young technologies, so that it is hard for them to compete with established technologies [10]. For overcoming these failures and allowing the technologies to become market-ready, government intervention is needed [38,8]. While the analytical framework applied in these studies has helped policy makers by analyzing where policy intervention is needed and has suggested policy instruments, studies have focused much less on associated policy processes

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