Sustainability Transitions and Industrial Transformation

This Open Access book illuminates the significant transformation processes brought about by economy-wide shifts towards sustainable modes of production, distribution, and consumption. In particular, the accelerating industrial transformations towards sustainability, in response to global warming and planetary boundary constraints, bring a range of new research challenges. By integrating perspectives from the interdisciplinary fields of innovation, policy, and sustainability transitions studies, the chapters offer novel conceptual and empirical insights into these complex processes, including on multi-system dynamics and digitalization. An essential read for both researchers and policymakers seeking to understand ongoing industrial transformations towards sustainability. Markus Steen is Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Technology Management at SINTEF Digital, Norway. His research focuses on sustainability transitions, innovation, policy, industrial transformation and regional development. Taran Thune is Professor of Innovation at the Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture at the University of Oslo and director of research centre INTRANSIT, Norway. Her research revolves notably around innovation policy, industrial R&D and innovation, knowledge transfer mechanisms, and public sector innovation. Teis Hansen is Full Professor at the Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Senior Research Scientist at the Department of Technology Management, SINTEF, Norway. His research interests are located at the intersections of geography, innovation, sustainability and policy. Tuukka Mäkitie is Research Scientist at SINTEF Digital, Norway. His research interests include sustainability transitions, green innovation in energy, transport and manufacturing sectors, and processes of novel value chain formation. Koen Frenken is Full Professor in Innovation Studies at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University, Netherlands. His research interests include breakthrough innovation, economic geography, platform economy and innovation policy.