Niches in evolutionary theories of technical change

By Johan Schot, Frank W. Geels. 2007

346 citations recorded by the source corpus.

In this article, the use of the niche concept for explaining radical technical change is explored. Contributions of various strands of literatures are elaborated and systematized in a taxonomy. Radical change or technological discontinuity is defined as the establishment of a new sociotechnical regime. Sociotechnical regimes carry and store rules for how to produce, use and regulate specific technologies. They perform the task of genes and define the boundary between technological species. It is proposed that radical change is generated by four different evolutionary mechanisms and patterns: natural selection, punctuated equilibrium, market niche selection, and technological niche selection. In each pattern, a different type of niche is implicated in the change process. The difference between niches results from differentiating between two dimensions: (1) whether niches are internal or external to the prevailing sociotechnical regime; (2) whether rules for design and use of a specific technology are stable or unstable within the niche.

Subfields: Management of Technology and Innovation, Management Science and Operations Research, Strategy and Management

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/3307e75b67ef41ab3cc57a448e5a0b813d9f8589

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In Management of Technology and Innovation

In Management Science and Operations Research

In Strategy and Management

Citations in the corpus

Challenges and trade-offs in corporate innovation for climate change (2010, neutral): “Thus, it is the wider sociotechnical system that acts as a selection environment for the success of specific technologies (Schot and Geels, 2007).”
A multi-level perspective on innovation ecosystems for path-breaking innovation (2017, neutral): “Finally, a key notion in our framework is the (socio-technical) niche (Geels, 2002; Schot and Geels, 2007), an additional layer of networks and activities that single actors and ecosystems in emerging fields can leverage in order to enhance their external viability.”
The Organizational Innovation System: A systemic framework for radical innovation at the organizational level (2016, background): “A technological niche is deliberately created by actors to have spaces for experiments, pilot and demonstration projects, and often a first market for the developed new concept (Schot and Geels, 2007).”
Lock-in and path dependence: an evolutionary approach to eco-innovations (2014, background): “At the moment, the trajectory of electric vehicles is stalled by technological hurdles such as the high price and low autonomy of batteries (Schot and Geels 2007).”
The Place of Path Dependence in an Evolutionary Perspective on the Economic Landscape (2010, background): “Technological niches are usually shielded from some market selection pressures as they depend on fringe markets, experimental and special purpose users, or state subsidies and public research funding (Schot and Geels, 2007; Metcalfe et al, 2005).”
Media coverage of sustainable development issues – attention cycles or punctuated equilibrium? (2012, background): “Within management research the suggestion is that systems remain relatively stable for long periods of time but are punctuated by short periods of rapid change (Schot, 2007), in the form of punctuated equilibrium.”
Environmental innovation and industrial dynamics: the contributions of evolutionary economics (2008, background): “It supports government policy aimed at creating niches by subsidies or regulation, an approach also known as strategic niche management (Schot and al., 1994; Kemp and al., 1998; Schot and Geels, 2007).”
Optimal Diversity: Increasing Returns versus Recombinant Innovation (2008, background): “This does not deny that diversity is recognized as important in innovation studies, but here it is mainly addressed through the descriptive notion of niche markets (e.g., Frenken et al. 1999, Tisdell and Seil 2004, Schot and Geels 2007).”
Innovation ecosystems: A critical examination (2016, background): “Schot and Geels (2007, 2008) emphasize niches in the evolution of technological and socio-technical regimes.”