Municipalities’ policy on innovation and market introduction in sustainable energy: A focus on local young technology firms

van Geenhuizen, M.S.; Nejabat, R.

doi:10.3390/en14041094

Municipalities’ policy on innovation and market introduction in sustainable energy

Title

Municipalities’ policy on innovation and market introduction in sustainable energy: A focus on local young technology firms

Author

van Geenhuizen, M.S. (TU Delft Economics of Technology and Innovation)
Nejabat, R. (TU Delft Economics of Technology and Innovation)

Date

2021

Abstract

Municipalities are increasingly involved in energy transition planning. There are, however, doubts about whether municipalities are an adequate organization and scale level for this. In this context, the article aims to picture developments of local young technology firms in bringing energy inventions to market, in particular, how municipalities have provided support to them. Such aim, in the context of energy transition, is new. Derived from study in Nordic countries and The Netherlands, two findings make a valuable contribution to literature. Firstly, a share of almost 40% of young technology firms fails in market introduction, and if reached the market, a 30% is rather late. Barriers stem from high risk-taking, late (no) collaboration, and limiting circumstances in metropolitan cities. Secondly, municipalities’ initiatives appear useful in filling young technology firms’ needs, but the initiatives are fragmented and miss priority. However, partnering in professional start-up organizations tends to improve the situation, indicating that the municipal level is promising in transitional change with regard to new technology. In contrast, driving energy transition through regional cluster building, includes different levels of functional interdependence, territorial scale, networking and governance, causing manifold complexity and uncertainty. Not all (large) municipalities seem able to act in a promising manner, however, much empirical research needs to be done.

Subject

Energy transition
Market introduction
Municipalities’ planning
Young technology firms

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http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:346ec285-debb-4e54-b7f9-49f00794e9bf

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/en14041094

ISSN

1996-1073

Source

Energies, 14 (4)

Part of collection

Institutional Repository