Innovation and institutional change: the transition to a sustainable ...

Preface
This dissertation on systems change in the electricity system has its roots in
various research projects on which I worked in the past years. My interest in
change processes was especially triggered when I was involved in the
evaluation of pollution projects in the Province of North-Holland. It resulted
in various publications, together with Theo de Bruijn, on the role of
pollution prevention in changing behavior of business and in realising more
far-reaching environmental innovations. At that time I also started to become
active within the Greening of Industry Network, also facilitated by Theo as
GIN coordinator. The work on the review article for the GIN conference in
Rome, which I wrote together with Ed Stafford and Cathy Hartman,
broadened my understanding of the type of change processes necessary to
move forward towards sustainable development. It especially made clear to
me how such processes can only succeed through mobilisation and
partnering of a range of actors that bring in different ideas and resources. A
more specific focus on system innovation in the energy sector originated
through my participation in the research project ‘Management of
Technology Responses to the Climate Challenge’, coordinated by Maarten
Arentsen. I had extensive discussions with my roommate Edwin Marquart on
developments in the electricity system. For the report we wrote together,
Edwin was also mainly responsible for the data and figures, and some of
these data are also recurring in this dissertation. I thank Edwin for his
contribution to this thesis and also for the good times we had in discussing
all kinds of energy and societal issues. In the project I was also introduced
into the sociotechnical system perspective. Especially working together with
Arie Rip and Rene Kemp proved to be very instructive. Later on I worked
together with Boelie Elzen and Frank Geels on designing sociotechnical
scenarios for the electricity system, who I thank both for this productive
collaboration. This work is extended in a current project where together with
Geert Verbong, Rob Raven and Boelie Elzen further exploration of energy
transitions takes place. Especially Geert, with his extensive knowledge of
and insightful books on the energy system, has given useful advice for which
I thank him.
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