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Incumbents' enabling role in niche-innovation : power dynamics in a wastewater project

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Abstract
More pluralised understandings of incumbencies are often overlooked in transitions research, which may lead to underestimating the enabling roles of incumbents in niche projects. This study explores these roles by applying a power framework to five struggles revolving around a path-breaking decentralised wastewater treatment project in the city of Ghent (Belgium). Remarkably, incumbents from multiple regimes use power to enable the niche project. The study identifies and discusses four patterns in the enabling role of incumbents in niche projects. These patterns are clarified by focussing on incumbents from multiple regimes, belonging to local authorities, neighbouring and more distant regimes, as well as on the power of structural trends related to the urgency of sustainability challenges. As such, the study contributes to the understanding of multiple incumbencies and the conditions under which these may reinforce niche projects. For practitioners, the study underscores the role of power dynamics in the water/wastewater sector.
Keywords
Sustainability transitions, Incumbents, Niche-innovation, Power dynamics, Wastewater, Circular economy

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MLA
Ampe, Kasper, et al. “Incumbents’ Enabling Role in Niche-Innovation : Power Dynamics in a Wastewater Project.” ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS, vol. 39, 2021, pp. 73–85, doi:10.1016/j.eist.2021.03.004.
APA
Ampe, K., Paredis, E., Asveld, L., Osseweijer, P., & Block, T. (2021). Incumbents’ enabling role in niche-innovation : power dynamics in a wastewater project. ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS, 39, 73–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2021.03.004
Chicago author-date
Ampe, Kasper, Erik Paredis, Lotte Asveld, Patricia Osseweijer, and Thomas Block. 2021. “Incumbents’ Enabling Role in Niche-Innovation : Power Dynamics in a Wastewater Project.” ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS 39: 73–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2021.03.004.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Ampe, Kasper, Erik Paredis, Lotte Asveld, Patricia Osseweijer, and Thomas Block. 2021. “Incumbents’ Enabling Role in Niche-Innovation : Power Dynamics in a Wastewater Project.” ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS 39: 73–85. doi:10.1016/j.eist.2021.03.004.
Vancouver
1.
Ampe K, Paredis E, Asveld L, Osseweijer P, Block T. Incumbents’ enabling role in niche-innovation : power dynamics in a wastewater project. ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS. 2021;39:73–85.
IEEE
[1]
K. Ampe, E. Paredis, L. Asveld, P. Osseweijer, and T. Block, “Incumbents’ enabling role in niche-innovation : power dynamics in a wastewater project,” ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS, vol. 39, pp. 73–85, 2021.
@article{8700839,
  abstract     = {{More pluralised understandings of incumbencies are often overlooked in transitions research, which may lead to underestimating the enabling roles of incumbents in niche projects. This study explores these roles by applying a power framework to five struggles revolving around a path-breaking decentralised wastewater treatment project in the city of Ghent (Belgium). Remarkably, incumbents from multiple regimes use power to enable the niche project. The study identifies and discusses four patterns in the enabling role of incumbents in niche projects. These patterns are clarified by focussing on incumbents from multiple regimes, belonging to local authorities, neighbouring and more distant regimes, as well as on the power of structural trends related to the urgency of sustainability challenges. As such, the study contributes to the understanding of multiple incumbencies and the conditions under which these may reinforce niche projects. For practitioners, the study underscores the role of power dynamics in the water/wastewater sector.}},
  author       = {{Ampe, Kasper and Paredis, Erik and Asveld, Lotte and Osseweijer, Patricia and Block, Thomas}},
  issn         = {{2210-4224}},
  journal      = {{ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION AND SOCIETAL TRANSITIONS}},
  keywords     = {{Sustainability transitions,Incumbents,Niche-innovation,Power dynamics,Wastewater,Circular economy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{73--85}},
  title        = {{Incumbents' enabling role in niche-innovation : power dynamics in a wastewater project}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2021.03.004}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}

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