Sustainability transitions: An

emerging field of research and its

prospects. (2012) Markard, J., Raven,
R., Truffer, B.
Presented by:
Mirna Garca
Julio Yuquilema
October 10th, 2014.

Content
1. Introduction
2. Sustainability
transitions: review
of the literature.
3. Potential lines of
future research
and contribution
of the papers in
the special issue.

Introduction
Challenges:
Enviromental,
social and
economic
problems.

How to promote
and govern a
transition toward
sustainability?

Introduction
Objectives
Identify the major research fields and
the dynamics between them.
Enrich the agenda for future research.
Introduce the special section papers.

Socio-technical system and

transition

Markets
Markets
andand
useruser
practices
practices

Vehicle/artef
Vehicle/artef
act act
(Developmen
(Developme
ts) nts)

Culture
Cultureand
and
symbolic
symbolic
meanings
meanings

Sociotechni
Networks
of actors as cal
well
as materialMaintenance
artifacts
and
Finance
system
and
Maintenance
and
Sociotechnic
distribution
rules,
of
distribution
knowledge
(Geels, 2004;
Markard,
2011;
Weber,
2003).
Finance
al
system
of
networks
interest rates
transportat
networks
rules,
Processes that lead transportati
to a fundamental
shift
in socioion
interest

on
technical
systems
(Geels
and Schot, 2010; Kemp, 1994).
rates

Industry
Industry
structure
structure
Fuel
infraestructu
Fuel
re
infraestructu

Regulations
and policies
Regulations
and policies

Road
Road infrastructur
infrastructur
e
e

Sustainability transitions

Long-term,
multi-dimensional,
and
fundamental
transformation processes through which established
socio-technical systems shift to more sustainable
modes of production and consumption.

Conceptual Approaches (1)

Socio-technical
regime
Imposes a logic
and direction for
incremental sociotechnical change.

Niche
Protected spaces in
which innovations
can compete with
established
technologies.
Source: Geels, 2002.

Conceptual Approaches (2)

Strategic Niche
Management

Multi-level
perspective

Creation and support of

the niches.

Evolution: Creation,
growth, stabilize or
decline.

Dynamic with stablished

regimes.

Dynamic at three
different levels and
evolution.

Source: Geels, 2002.

Conceptual Approaches (3)

Transition
Management
Sectors as complex, and
adaptive systems with
governance process.
Model practice-oriented
for influencing ongoing
transitions into more
sustainable directions.
Action research and
participation in regional
and national policy
projects.
Special attention in cities.

Technological Innovation
Systems
Emergence
of

technologies and
institutional and
organizational
changes.
Innovation systems.
Institutional
infrastructure is the
driver of the change,
key processes and
barriers.
Recent studies about
specific technologies,

METHODOLOGY

Criteria:

QUANTITAT
IVE
APPROACH

- How to define the core of the field?

How to implemented the
research?
- Which elements to focus on?
which source to use?

CORE FIELD
It comprises all scientific
articles that are concerned with
the analysis of the institutional,
organizational, technical, social
and political aspects of far
reaching changes in existing
socio-technical system
related to more
sustainabilitymodes of
production and consumption.
Which includes empirical
studies..
Sources
Scopus database range Social sciences journals

QUANTITAT
IVE
APPROACH
Implementation

- Selection of elements and

sources
- Choice core articles

Elements
-Peer-reviewed Journal
Articles (publications)

QUANTITAT
IVE
APPROACH

Sampling:
#
Key Words
Selected
Papers
20
480
50
9
539

#
Observations
Total
Paper
s
1950 Most citations

Four
Frameworks
20 Core
1400
Papers
Special Issues 102
Articles
TOTAL

Crosscheckin
g
+

Core Papers:

QUANTITAT
IVE
APPROACH

Title

Author (s) year and journal

#
Citations

The approach of
strategic niche
management

Kemp, R., Schot, J., Hoogma,

R., 1998
Technology Analysis &
Strategic Management

281

More evolution than

revolution transition
management in public
policy

Rotmans, J., Kemp, R., van

Asselt, M., 2001
Foresight

191

Understanding carbon
lock-in

Unruh, G.C., 2000

Energy Policy

214

The governance of
sustainable sociotechnical
transitions

Smith, A., Stirling, A.,

Berkhout, F., 2005
Research Policy

151

RESULTS

1. Citations & Articles

Number of citations (line, left scale) and journal articles (columns, right scale) per year.

2. Journals in STS

Most important journals in the field .

Source: Markard et al. (2012)

3. STS Focus & Geography

FOCUS

GEOGRAPH
Y

36%

ENERGY & TECH

Netherlands

9%

8%

TRANSPORTATIO
N

UK

8%

7%

WATER &
TRANSPORTATIO
N

USA

6%

3%

FOOD

GERMANY

5%

4. STS Scope

Analytical Focus of the articles in our sample

(Exclusive categories)
Source: Markard et al. (2012)

FUTURE RESEARCH
POTENTIAL LINES OF FUTURE RESEARCH
1.- To Elaborate and specify the conceptual frameworks and
methodology..for understanding historical and ongoing transitions.
- Where and how to apply them, their limitations and assumptions.
2.- Better understanding of politics and policies of sustainability transitions.
- To Build on the very early uptake of transitions-based policy concepts
3.- Relates to the understanding the agency of different actor groups in
transitions process.
- Role of actor and groups on the transitions processes.
4.- Geographical dimension of historical and emerging transitions processes.
- Including Spatial context

Contribution of the papers in the special

issue
Transition
policy
rationales

Politics and
governance
of niche
processes

Spatial
contexts

Ontological
inroads to
account for
actor
strategies

Contributi
on

Modelling
transitions

Flat
ontologies
for
analyzing
transitions

CONCLUSIONS
-

Despite to the recent high growth, sustainability transitions

research is still narrow.
Research focus on energy mainly, less in water, sanitation
European bias, studies from China, India, Japan are not
represented.

- Sustainability transitions has high societal

because of challenges we facing today, however
it is highly complex due to the number and
variety of actor and factors. Involved in the
processes and it is just in the beginning.

Thank you for your

attention!