Key drivers behind global energy

transitions

 Global climate change crisis

 UN SDGs (especially SDG 7 = affordable and clean
energy for all)
 Lock-in effects and implications for developing markets
(still able to shift more easily)
Three core approaches to energy
transition research

 Techno-economic

 Socio-technical

 Political

 E.g. Cherp et al., 2018

Justifying the socio-technical choice

 Limited body of research to capture socially-rooted

intangibles surrounding technology

 Particular relevance for dynamics in fast-growing new

frontier markets (e.g. marginalised groups, population
growth)

 Context for in-depth behavioural and business insights

that are critical to a sustainable energy transition (e.g.
Product-Service Systems, PSS = tangible + intangible
dimensions)
Specific pathways to the socio-
technical approach

 Dynamic capabilities perspective from the resource-

based view of strategy (highlighting innovation)
 Innovation cascades and value chains
 Ecosystems
 EV firms as shapers of a new Pan-African urban transport
business ecosystem (EMNE internationalisation theory)
 Operationalising using a Product-Service System
(PSS) model
Some references
Araújo, K. (2014). The emerging field of energy transitions: progress, challenges, and
opportunities. Energy Research & Social Science, 1, 112-121.
Batinge, B., Musango, J. K., & Brent, A. C. (2019). Sustainable energy transition
framework for unmet electricity markets. Energy Policy, 129, 1090-1099.
Cherp, A., Vinichenko, V., Jewell, J., Brutschin, E., & Sovacool, B. (2018). Integrating
techno-economic, socio-technical and political perspectives on national energy
transitions: A meta-theoretical framework. Energy Research & Social Science, 37, 175-
190.
Eckert, C., Isaksson, O., Hallstedt, S., Malmqvist, J., Rönnbäck, A. Ö., & Panarotto, M.
(2019, July). Industry Trends to 2040. In Proceedings of the Design Society:
International Conference on Engineering Design (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 2121-2128).
Cambridge University Press.
Q5 (Need/challenge) – outline of key points

 Main motivation: Unsustainability of current mass mobility models in Africa’s urban areas (envir.
damage and health hazards)
 Market opportunity for an electric bus-based business model (to replace capacity-limited van
transporters)
 Associated with some technological challenges of cascading the innovation (product and service
aspects)
 Need to sustainably embed use of the e-bus into the transport sector of a fast-growing African city
 Building on existing capabilities (upto prototype) and developing new ones (e.g. Battery
repurposing and retrofitting)
 Describing status of prototype
 PESTLE points (incl. ref to Horizon tool; Using Kpla and UG for the Africa situation; EAC; GLR; )