Transition towards more sustainability has been on the agenda of politicians, researchers,
industry and concerned societal actors for a number of years. The oil crisis in the 1970s,
environmental concerns related to decreasing biodiversity, depleted natural resources, cities
polluted by emissions from road transport, and climate changes caused by greenhouse gas
emissions, all these crises have contributed to a sense of urgency in political statements on
the need for transition towards a sustainable society. Politicians have developed different …

This paper attempts to review two important strands on literature relevant for our
understanding of demonstration projects and trials for the transition towards more
sustainability: Firstly, the literature on demonstration projects and trials, applying rather
different conceptual frameworks, among others technological innovation systems, and
secondly, the broad literature on socio-technical systems and strategic niche management.
The analysis of the first shows a focus on technological solutions and to a much lesser …