The role of regional innovation systems in mission-oriented innovation policy: exploring the problem-solution space in electrification of maritime transport

ABSTRACT

The innovation literature increasingly addresses grand challenges and transformative change. However, the issue of to what extent transformative change can build upon the resources, actors and institutions of existing innovation systems has not received sufficient attention. Against this background this paper aims to advance our understanding of the geographies and continuities of transformative change, by exploring the role of regional innovation systems in mission-oriented innovation. Based on an in-depth case study of electrification of ferries in Western Norway, the paper finds that the accomplishment of the mission was in large part due to the fact that it created new regional economic opportunities and built upon and mobilized existing regional resources, actors and structures. This mission re-orientation of an existing regional innovation system was characterized by (a) limited contestation, low complexity and low uncertainty about the technological battery-driven solutions pointed at, (b) multi-actor and multi-scalar agency and finally (c) asset modification of strong and pre-existing RIS structures, institutions and regulatory context.

KEYWORDS:

• Regional innovation systems
• governance
• directionality
• mission-oriented innovation
• maritime sector

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for feedback received at the GEOINNO conference in Stavanger, January 2020, and also from helpful comments from members of the GONST research team. We would also like to thank our respondents and the participants in the seminars held in relation to this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 NCE is an abbreviation for Norwegian Centre of Expertise. It is one (and second in terms of sophistication/maturity) of the cluster categories in the official Norwegian cluster programme, the other categories being 'Arena', 'Arena Pro', and 'Global Centres of Expertise'.

 

Additional information

Funding

All authors acknowledge support from the Nordic Green Growth Research and Innovation Programme in cooperation with NordForsk, Nordic Innovation and Nordic Energy Research [grant number 83130] (GONST). Andersen and Steen acknowledge support from FME NTRANS supported be the Research Council of Norway [grant number 144913]. Steen also from the GREENFLEET project supported be the Research Council of Norway [grant number 268166].