The agency and geography of socio-technical transitions: the case of urban transport innovations

The objective of this cumulative thesis is to gain deeper insights into the interplay of agency and structure through the empirical example of emerging technologies in the context of Industry 4.0. To achieve this goal, it enriches the theoretical background from evolutionary economic geography with insights from transition studies and management studies. Empirically, the analysis focuses on novelty creation toward intelligent transport systems in an urban environment. This encompasses software solutions such as big data platforms for traffic management, the Internet of Things to create a network of various objects and subjects within the city, or the development of autonomous vehicles. This thesis formulates four overarching research purposes: (1) comprehending socio-technical transitions during Industry 4.0 from an agency-based perspective; (2) understanding how agency facilitates or hinders innovation development; (3) identifying the impact of multi-scalar and cross-sectoral relations; and (4) integrating different theoretical approaches to gain a holistic understanding of the empirical domain. The thesis adopts a qualitative research design with a philosophical grounding in critical realism, drawing on semi-structured expert interviews, literature reviews, and document and network analysis. The main contribution of this thesis rests on four distinct research papers. A systematic literature review sets the conceptual basis for the analysis, identifying future research avenues based on the existing research body. The first case study analyzes the development of an app-based solution for managing urban logistics in Barcelona from a multi-level perspective. The other two case studies investigate the evolution of advanced air mobility in Germany and the city of Hamburg

Methodik zur ganzheitlichen Analyse bodengebundener Infrastruktur für Urban Air Mobility

Dieser Artikel stellt den methodischen Prozess einer Szenarienentwicklung sowie einer simulationsgestützten Analyse für die bodengebundene Infrastruktur von UAM dar. Als innovative Lösung verspricht UAM im Personentransport Angebote im Gesamtverkehr zu schaffen, um das zukünftige Mobilitätsangebot in Metropolregionen zu verbessern. Die Gestaltung der Nachfrageszenarien befindet sich in einer stetigen Aushandlung zwischen den Akteuren und wird beeinflusst von der technischen Entwicklung, der sozioökonomischen Realisierbarkeit und den zugrunde liegenden Diskursen, die diese Form der Mobilität umgeben. Die Anforderungen an die bodengebundene Infrastruktur sind essentiell für eine realistische Beurteilung der Kapazitäten und Flugmissionen, der städteplanerischen und architektonischen Umsetzung, den Synergien zu anderen Verkehrssystemen sowie einer Berücksichtigung sozialer Aspekte in der Stadt. Der erste methodische Baustein beleuchtet den kreativen Prozess dieser Szenarienentwicklung, einschließlich einer Faktorenanalyse, der Ableitung schlüssiger Nachfrageszenarien sowie der Identifizierung konkreter Standorte für Vertiports am Beispiel der Metropolregion Hamburg. Vier thematische Szenarien werden in diesem Kontext tiefergehend diskutiert: die Anbindung peripherer Räume, Pendlerbewegungen, touristische Nutzung sowie die Überwindung von Mobilitätsengpässen. Im zweiten Abschnitt liegt der Fokus auf der technischen Umsetzung und Analyse der Topologien, Wartungs- und Reparatursystemen, dem Energiemanagement sowie der Wechselwirkung zwischen diesen Subsystemen

A systematic review of ground-based infrastructure for the innovative urban air mobility

The increasing level of urbanisation and traffic congestion promotes the concept of urban air mobility (UAM), which has become a thriving topic in engineering and neighbouring disciplines. The development of a suitable ground-based infrastructure is necessary to supply these innovative vehicles, which mainly includes networks of take-off and landing sites, facilities for maintenance, energy supply, and navigation and communication capabilities. Further requirements comprise robust business and operating models for emerging service providers and regulatory frameworks, particularly regarding safety, liability and noise emissions. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the current results and developments in the field of UAM ground-based infrastructure by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) and to identify the most relevant research gaps in the field. For the systematic literature analysis, our search string contains vertiports and the equivalents, UAM and equivalents, and search phrases for the individual domains. In the final analysis 64 articles were included, finding a strong focus on simulations and vertiport networks, while specific case studies and related aspects like automated MRO and urban planning appear less frequently. Therefore, this article provides insights for a more holistic perspective on challenges and necessities of future UAM