Demonstration projects in transition processes to sustainable energy and transport

Abstract

Abstract:In this paper, an analysis was made of the role of public support schemes funding demonstration, test and trial activities for sustainable development in energy and road transport. This paper presents the analysis of the effects of demonstration projects in transition processes to sustainable energy and transport in the Scandinavian countries on the development of knowledge networks and on interaction with users. The main purpose of this paper is: (1) to analyse the role of publically funded demonstration projects concerning changes in knowledge networks of project participants over time; (2) analysing policy priorities in collaboration by the public funding programmes. The paper addresses following research questions: (1) How successful are Scandinavian demonstration projects in contributing to the development of knowledge networks for sustainable energy and transport transitions? (2) Do Scandinavian demonstration programmes prioritise learning in international knowledge networks and user involvement? (3) How have demonstration projects contributed to transition processes? Keywords: demonstration projects; networking; social network analysis; sustainable energy; sustainable transport; transition processes. Demonstration projects in transition processes 97This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled 'Demonstration projects in transition processes to sustainable energy and transport ', presented

The role of pilot and demonstration plants in technological development: synthesis and directions for future research

“…We begin by discussing some key concepts of high relevance. Our review shows that learning and uncertainty reduction are central theoretical concepts, but they have not been sufficiently elaborated on (Klitkou et al 2013). For instance, the perceptions of learning differ a lot across different studies (e.g.…”

“…Most of this research adopts a broad approach and the performance effects target understanding the dynamics of technological change with a strong focus on sustainability transitions and the development of new cleaner energy technologies (Klitkou et al 2013). A common theme is the focus on PDPs with (partial) public funding, and the role of innovation policy in the commercialisation of new technology (Hellsmark and Jacobsson 2012;Hendry, Harborne, and Brown 2010).…”

“…However, in practice, the literature suggests that government funding of PDPs have often not been shaped by well-defined strategic objectives (Harborne and Hendry 2009). Government support also signals political recognition, and indicates to potential adopters the direction of future policies and priorities (corresponding to 'guidance of the search' in the TIS literature) (Klitkou et al 2013). Policy should therefore also ensure an effective reporting of results and that the science and technology structure created within PDPs is useful beyond single experiments, e.g.…”

“…Although our review of existing research on PDPs makes no claim to be exhaustive, it indicates that while plenty of scholarly work has been done on the management and policy of innovation and technological change, surprisingly little explicit attention has been devoted to the critical role of PDPs (see also Klitkou et al 2013). It is therefore useful to discuss how such research can be conducted; e.g.…”

The Valley of Death, the Technology Pork Barrel, and Public Support for Large Demonstration Projects

“…But rather than an interpretation encapsulated in governments should avoid picking winners, here there is an opportunity to think more normatively about how to design programs within a setting of influential political actors (Klitkou et al, 2013). For example, "advocacy coalitions" are a promising dimension to understand and address specifically in demonstration program design (Dasgupta et al, 2016) In short, policy makers need to learn from failures and successes of the past in order to design a demonstration strategy that itself can both generate new knowledge and learn from that which is created.…”