Socio-technical transition pathways and social networks: a toolkit for empirical innovation studies

In this note we investigate socio-technical transition pathways concentrating our attention on innovation niches formations. Specifically, we present a methodological conceptualization of innovation-niches and propose a preliminary protocol, based on a Social Network Analysis (SNA), aiming to capture and measure the internal status of niches. The suggested protocol provides a toolkit with insights on three SN concepts which can be used to study and measure the evolution process of technological niches. This allowed us to suggest a set of possible policy actions, which derives directly from the conceptualisation of innovation-niches propose in this paper. Although preliminary, we believe this study represents an important step in a much-needed direction, which is science-policy interface in socio-technical transition studies.socio-technical transition, innovation, social network analysis, science-policy interface

Efficiency of LEADER Programmes in the creation of tangible and intangible outputs: a Data Envelopment Analysis application to Local Action Groups performances

An emerging requirement for the evaluation of the rural development policy is the adoption of an objective method accounting for both material and immaterial achievements, and measuring the performance in order to understand the degree of accomplishment of policy objectives. In this paper we propose a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach capable of dealing with economic and social indicators, to measure the (relative) technical efficiency of a set of Local Action Groups (LAGs) operating within the LEADER programme. An evaluation exercise referred to eight LAGs located in Italy, is provided to demonstrate the effects of the inclusion of social capital indicator in the evaluation of the LAGs’ performances. In particular, the DEA allows to measure the relative efficiency of the LAGs and to identify the causes of the inefficiency. The outcomes of the analysis may represent a valuable information support for periodical policy review and for the enhancement of best practices.Rural Development, LEADER, social capital, DEA, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q18, R58,

Reti locali e diffusione della conoscenza: un caso di studio

In letteratura si sottolinea come la conoscenza ed i relativi meccanismi di apprendimento (learning) siano cruciali per lo sviluppo dei sistemi produttivi locali. Gran parte della conoscenza impiegata nei processi di produzione ha natura localizzata, cioe' non e' trasferibile da un luogo ad un altro in quanto non difficilmente codificabile e' facile da codificare e puo' essere, percio' definita tacita. Le forme di apprendimento informale definite "interactive learning" o "collective learning", rappresentano una parte importante del vantaggio competitivo delle imprese che seguono una logica di agglomerazione spaziale e cooperazione informale. Un approccio particolarmente interessante per indagare le caratteristiche di un contesto produttivo locale soprattutto per quanto riguarda le interazioni sociali e le esternalita' in termini di diffusione della conoscenza e' quello della teoria dei network. Questa metodologia e' stata applicata allo studio di uno specifico sottoinsieme del sistema produttivo di Capitanatadella provincia di Foggia: il comparto delle produzioni da dell'agricoltura biologica.Social Network Analysis, diffusione di conoscenza,interactive learning, collective learning

the networking dynamics of the italian biofuel industry in time of crisis finding an effective instrument mix for fostering a sustainable energy transition

Abstract This paper aims to design the effective instrument mixes for fostering a sustainable energy transition in times of crises. We focus on a sufficiently developed green niche – namely the Italian biofuel sector – implementing a two-step investigation: 1) a social network analysis, to study the effects of the crisis on the basic niche development mechanisms, with the aim of eliciting its development needs; 2) a fuzzy inference simulation based on a causal-effect map drawn from experts' knowledge to identify the most effective instrument mix for the development of the niche studied. The major needs emerged in the case investigated are for an increase of actors' expectations towards the further development of the sector, and a need for a tailored networking activity, devoted to attracting specific knowledgeable actors. The results indicate that, among others, effective policy instruments are, in this case, the cooperation that has the best outcome in terms of networking, and the public procurement, which remarkably increases the level of expectation. The analysis presented constitutes a model to evaluate single policy drivers and their combinations to find adequate policy actions to promote the green energy transition in times of crisis

Improving diffusion in agriculture: an agent-based model to find the predictors for efficient early adopters

Abstract Proven that the adoption rate of a new product is influenced by the network characteristics of the early adopters, the aim of this paper is to find the network features of the early adopters associated with high adoption rates of a specific new practice: the use of biodegradable mulching films containing soluble bio-based substances derived from municipal solid wastes. We simulated the diffusion process by means of an agent-based model calibrated on real-world data. Closeness and clusterization emerged as the most important network characteristics for early adopters to be successful. The results achieved represent the basis for the breaking down of a tailored diffusion strategy to overcome the psychological and socio-economic barriers of this kind of innovation within an environmental and sustainability-oriented transition policy in a rural context