Research seminar at the Centre of Innovation Research. Guest Speaker: Johan Miörner, Circle/Lund University
Transformative Innovations Travel - Tracing the Diffusion of Circular District-Scale Sanitation Systems in Europe.
May 8th, 12.00–13.00 EOJ 276/277, or join on Teams
Abstract:
When it comes to transformative innovations in infrastructure - like new ways to manage water, energy, or waste - existing models do not fully explain how diffusion happens between cities or countries. Unlike simple technological products, these kinds of innovations depend on a mix of technical, social, organizational, and policy changes. As a result, they spread in more complex, non-linear ways. Our research introduces a new way of thinking about how these innovations travel. We focus on how “configurational templates” – an institutional blueprint specifying the alignment between actors, institutions and technologies – support contextualization of general guidelines, standards and know-how, in new places. To explore this empirically, we studied how circular, district-scale sanitation systems (CDSS) are being developed and spread across Europe.
Based on 54 expert interviews and a large set of supporting materials, we found that the CDSS model evolved gradually, through pilot projects and experiments in many different places. Based on this, we propose a three-phase model that shows how transformative innovations become more widely accepted and used. This model can help us better understand the spread of transformative innovations in other sectors too.