WG Innovations in sociotechnical systems
In bioeconomy, the innovation and performance of technical systems crucially depends on whether their linkages with ecological and social systems are properly regularized by institutions and governance structures. With our research we aim to shed light on the complexity and diversity which characterizes management of such interlinked systems. This is urgent in view of pressing socioeconomic and ecological problems resulting from misalignments of strategies, processes, steering structures and cooperation practices between innovation systems, businesses and their environments.
The focus of our research in the Working Group is on forms of participation and agency, impacts of processes and strategies, and performance of steering structures and institutions for innovation. For this purpose we employ a wide spectrum of methods including analysis of transaction cost, life cycle analysis, value chain and network analysis, business modelling and simulation, and institutional analysis.
The results of our research are relevant for better innovation and performance management of sociotechnical innovation systems as well as capacity development particularly at the level of businesses and their environments.
