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

Theoretical perspectives 27
throughout the design process. In this way potential for mutual learning
regarding technological options, user preferences, institutional aspects and
environmental impacts can be fully exploited and facilitate embedding of
new (sustainable) needs and values in material (technology) realities (Schot,
2001). In sum, sociotechnical change theorists aim to increase understanding
of the dynamics and patterns of co-evolutionary processes that inform where
opportunities exist to trigger new actor linkages and alignments which can
enable the creation of new transformational paths (Kemp, Rip and Schot,
2001).
Figure 2.2 Multiple levels shaping dynamics of sociotechnical change (Rip
and Kemp, 1998: 339)
A multi-level perspective on systems change
A group of researchers originating from the Netherlands has been influential
in developing a specific analytical perspective on systems change or
transitions as they label it (Rip and Kemp, 1998; Kemp et al., 1998, 2001;
Geels, 2002a, 2004). They have been concerned with the way more radical
innovations come about and penetrate into society. To understand transitions
a multi-level perspective is developed that builds upon insights from the
field of sociotechnical change. The core of the theory is that transitions are
shaped by interaction between three levels: the socio-technical landscape,
the socio-technical regimes and niches (see Figure 2.2). Sociotechnical