Global influence and national diversity in socio-technical transitions: a sectoral taxonomy

Global influence and national diversity in socio-technical
transitions: a sectoral taxonomy.
Gerardo Marletto
DISEA, University of Sassari & CRENoS
Cécile Sillig
DIEC/CIELI, University of Genova
Abstract
Socio-technical transitions (STTs) are used to analyse radical innovations and their extensive and structural
impacts on the society. The spatial articulation of STTs is more and more studied to provide a deeper
understanding of horizontal (i.e., between areas at the same scale) and vertical (i.e., between areas at
different scales) dynamics. In particular, an increasing attention is given to the global scale.
This paper contributes to the geography of STTs, by studying the connections between the global and the
national scale and by aiming at filling two research gaps: the inadequate consideration of both national
diversity and sectoral specificities. Starting from five case studies on agrifood, healthcare, logistics, urban
mobility and tourism, we build a sectoral taxonomy of STTs focussed on the relation between global
influence and national diversity.
Four types of sectors emerge from the analysis: Type 1 sectors with a higher variety of national STTs,
mostly depending on no relevant global influence; Type 2 sectors with a typology of national STTs with
some (actor-led or discourse-led) global influence; Type 3 sectors with multiscalar STTs and a very limited
number of national specifications; Type 4 sectors featuring a global STT and no relevant national diversity.
The taxonomy may be used: a) to represent sectors other than those studied here (e.g., defense, education,
energy, internal security, justice, media/entertainment, water, Web/TLC), b) for dynamic analyses, i.e. to
study the eventual migration of sectors between Types, and c) to provide useful hints for the design and
implementation of policies aiming at pushing STTs in a desired direction