Passing the baton: How intermediaries advance sustainability transitions in different phases

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Volume Title

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

2019-06

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Language

en

Pages

16

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Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Volume 31, pp. 110-125

Abstract

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to intermediaries, actors connecting multiple other actors, in transition processes. Research has highlighted that intermediary actors (e.g. innovation funders, energy agencies, NGOs, membership organisations, or internet discussion forums) operate in many levels to advance transitions. We argue that intermediation, and the need for it, varies during the course of transition. Yet, little explicit insight exists on intermediation in different transition phases. We integrate existing conceptual models on transition dynamics and phases and a typology of transition intermediaries to examine how intermediaries advance transitions in different phases. We illustrate our conceptual insights through examples from car clubs, heat pumps and low-energy housing. We conclude that intermediation is paramount from predevelopment to stabilisation of a transition. Intermediary functions change from supporting experimentation and articulation of needs in predevelopment, to the aggregation of knowledge, pooling resources, network building and stronger institutional support and capacity building in acceleration.

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Keywords

Change agents, Intermediaries, Intermediation, Multilevel perspective, Sustainability transition, Transition phases

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Citation

Kivimaa, P, Hyysalo, S, Boon, W, Klerkx, L, Martiskainen, M & Schot, J 2019, ' Passing the baton: How intermediaries advance sustainability transitions in different phases ', Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, vol. 31, pp. 110-125 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2019.01.001