The green transition, a politically-willed process of economic, social and technological transformation, is perhaps the most revolutionary and profound process of systems innovation in current times. Shedding light on this colossal challenge requires a close overview of the historical evolution of the academic and policy discourse surrounding innovation, innovation systems and transformational innovation and economic policies. Furthermore, the intentional nature of green transitions poses the question: who or which factors should determine change and set directionality?
To answer this question, this study focuses on exploring the relationship between agency and innovation. It examines the roles played by various agents and actors in instigating green innovations and the more systemic process of the green transition. In other words, surveying not only technological and institutional innovations but also systemic innovations. The discussion does not solely revolve around the impact of structures on agents or vice versa but rather focuses on how agents intentionally and unintentionally instigate transformative change individually and in collaborations from various perspectives.
The report is organised as follows: PART I introduces the theoretical and conceptual background for our study, taking a deep dive into the literature concerning innovation systems theory, the structure-agency debate and transitions. PART II sets out the methodological and conceptual framework based on the ‘trinity of change agency’ approach. This is followed by two extensive empirical case studies in PART III: innovation dynamics in wood construction in Sweden and Finland and Nordic innovation systems dynamics in the protein shift. PART IV provides a cross-case analysis, and finally, we conclude with a brief reflection on the dynamics observed when examining the role of agency in the green transition.