The Co-evolutionary Transition Model: Advantages of a Regional Innovation

Systems Approach to Green Innovation

Phil Cooke

Aalborg & Cardiff Universities

The Transition Model: Assessment• Co-evolutionary Transition Model postulates market-

driven emergence of green ‘niches’• ‘Niches’ merge to form ‘technological regimes’• Regimes co-evolve with society to produce new ‘socio-

technical landscape’• Little concern for governance, regulation, subsidy• Neglects ‘innovative territories’ i.e. ‘green regional

innovation systems’ and ‘green cities’• It is surprisingly ‘linear’ with little ‘systems interaction’• Nevertheless, it is really the only ‘meta-theoretical

framework’ for conceptualising a ‘post-hydrocarbon’ socio-technical landscape’

• Contrast with RIS + RV ‘platform’ of Exploration < > Examination < > Exploitation Interactive Innovation

Europe’s 100 Fast Growth Potential & Beneficial Environmental SMEs Source: Library House/Guardian 2008

ISRAEL

Bangor, Wales, UK (2)

• DeepStream develops technology for energy management

• 3D circuit sensor adding ‘embedded intelligence’ to electrical equipment and infrastructure

• Markets – consumer appliances, building automation; ‘smart grid’, industrial plants, energy management systems

• VP with ‘wireless’ device background; • CEO an inventor, 5 IPRs, €30 million patent for former

employer• VC – Doughty Hanson Tech Fund, 3i, HSBC, WAG

Ebonex® Abertillery, Wales, UK (10)

• Ebonex is an advanced conductive ceramic product• Suited to power storage – makes batteries more

powerful, smaller, lighter and longer-lasting• Markets – vast, but include hybrid and electric vehicles

sector

• Chair & CEO – battery businesses• VC – (UK) Finance Wales, Chord Capital, Scottish

Equity Partners, • (EU) Espirito Santo Ventures, Bankinvest• (US) Enertech Capital, OnPoint Technologies

Bridgend, Wales, UK (14)

• Transforms manufacturers’ food waste, animal by-products and excess packaging into energy

• In UK 17 million tons food waste• Thermomechanical (waste drying) technology

produces biomass energy fuel

• Chair –Waste management; CEO environmental engineering

• VC – Finance Wales, Oxford Capital Partners, Foursome Investments

Cardiff, Wales, UK (37)• Globally leading solar technology• Derived from innovations in materials science and

nanotechnology• Advanced solar cells closely approach photosynthesis• Mobile telephony, laptops, sensors, water purification,

ultra-low LED lighting, optimises low-light conditions

• Chairman – politician (Speaker of California legislature)• CEO – Solar technology• VC – 4RAE (Netherlands); Morgan Stanley Principal

Investments (US)

Pelikon (Caerphilly, Wales, UK) (80)

• World leader in development and commercial application of pSEL technology

• pSEL technology - Pelikon exploits Liquid Crystal and EL (electroluminescence) technologies to create pSEL Hybrid display panels

• pSEL consumes less power than conventional backlit displays

• Applications for billions of units • Important link in chain for reduction in energy consumption

• Chair – telecom• CEO – fibre optics• VC – Advent Venture Partners

Top European Fast Growth Eco-Businesses In Wales

Pelikon

Kgs Lyngby, Denmark (11)

• BioGasol has developed a technology concept within lignocellulosic biofuels (2G bioethanol)

• BioGasol has developed proprietary technologies within pre-treatment, biogas production and a unique C5-fermentation for maximum ethanol production

• Using the yields obtained in the pilot plant 1.36 USD per Gallon is a valid estimate of the Minimum Ethanol Sales Price (MESP) declining to 1.0 USD/gallon

                            

       

Fredericia, Denmark (20)

• Leader in construction of offshore wind farms• Utilises leg-suspended crane vehicles• Highly demanding expertise and bespoke

technology

• Have 160 employees of which 50 are based in Fredericia.

VESTESEN A/S wind/diesel desalination Viby, Denmark (43)

• With sufficient wind power to cover the consumption, the diesel engine is disconnected from the generator by means of a magnetic clutch and shut down to save fuel

• During these periods the grid is solely supplied from the wind turbines (100% wind penetration) and there is no idle consumption of the diesel engines.

• All waste energy from cooling of the diesel engines and the surplus wind energy (wind power production exceeding the consumer power demand) can be utilized for fresh water production based on desalination of sea or brackish water.

Stirling Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark (47)

• Electricity From Biomass

• Conversion of low-value biomass into high-value, clean electricity and heat in small (35-500 kWe electric and 140-2,000 kWth heat) energy plants

• Stirling vision is to become “The Rural Powering Company”

AQUAporin, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark (89)

• An essential building block in the water membrane technology of Aquaporin A/S is the aquaporin molecule

• Nanotechnology – membranes for water purification

• Derived applications in the field of biosensors. 

• Aquaporin's goal is to use aquaporins as cornerstones in water filtering devices to be employed in industrial and household water filtration and purification. 

SCION : Kongens Lyngby (& Hørsholm), Denmark

• DTU Technical University of Denmark

• SCION science Park

• Collaboration with venture funds and science parks

• Both in Lyngby and Hørsholm, DTU houses Denmark’s largest science park, Scion•DTU,

• High-tech and/or small new entrepreneur businesses can rent office space

• Gain access to the unique facilities and competences of the world of research.

SCION Eco-innovators: Links, related variety & niches but no cluster

AQUAporin

Industry Partners

Related Variety

European Wind Farms

SCION Hørsholm SCION Kgs Lyngby

Classification of Top Eco-innovators in Denmark & Wales

Wales• DeepStream – Energy Mgt.

• AtraVerda – Batteries

• Inetec – Biomass

• G24 – Photovoltaics

• Pelikon -Photoluminescence

Denmark• BioGasol – Biofuels

• A2SEA – Wind

• Vestesen – Wind

• Stirling – Biomass

• AQUAporin – Nano

The North Central Jutland Wind Turbine Cluster

Source: Danish Wind Industry Association Data, 2007

Environmental Innovation in Wales: 30 Solar Energy Equipment Manufacturers

LlaniSolar

G24i

Sharp Solar, Dulas; PV Systems; Corus Colours, ICP Solar, Jantec

Solar, IQE

PHOTOVOLTAICS CLUSTER

ICP Solar

MicaulSolar

Clear Sky

ThermonaxSundance Renewables

Royce RenewablesPJB Systems

Solar Housing

Solarfit

KDUK

Sunset Solar

SB Alternative Energy

Bright Light Solar

VE Heating

Eco Energy Systems

Solarfit

InterSolar

Kingspan

Baglan Energy Park

Tribrid Bus

Connaught Engineering

HFC Inventor Sir William Grove,born Swansea, 11th July, 1811

The Narrow Car Company

Hydrogen Fuelled Vehicle Firms and Infrastructure: Wales

Conclusions• Strong evidence that green innovation is regional• Some modest evidence of path dependence• Top Danish innovative firms in Wind/Biofuel • Top Welsh innovators in Process technologies and

Photovoltaics• Hence some support for ‘related variety’• Some modest evidence of agglomerating if not ‘clustering’ • Though lack of connectivity suggests only modest

agglomeration, not easy to see ‘niches’, even less a ‘green regime’

• DTU key to KL ‘agglomeration’ (Public support /subsidy?)• In Wales corporate more than university spinoffs (CEO

data, etc.)

• Exploration < > Examination < > Exploitation RIS theory with related variety ‘platforms’ seems superior in explaining ‘green innovation’ emergence