A technological innovation systems approach to analyse the roles of intermediaries in eco-innovation

The literature on intermediaries faces challenges regarding how to conceptualise and empirically demonstrate the system-level impact of intermediaries. Thus, researchers and policy analysts may experience difficulties in grasping the potential contributions of intermediaries beyond individual projects and firms to aggregate levels of an innovation system. This article combines innovation intermediary and technological innovation systems literature to develop fundamentals of an approach for analysing how organisations acting as intermediaries support firms in eco-innovation and potentially contribute to technological innovation system functions. The operationalisation of the analytical approach is illustrated using case studies on a total of eight support organisations acting as intermediaries in the region of Scania, Sweden and North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. For researchers and policy analysts, the analytical approach presented in this article offers the opportunity for a step-by-step, comprehensive and transparent analysis of different types of intermediaries, their roles, and potential contributions to innovation system functions.Financial support for this article came from Formas (TheSwedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciencesand Spatial Planning) through ECO-INOVERA project“SHIFT”andthe European Union Regional Development fund through theInterreg project“SUPER”. Earlier drafts of this article have beenpresented at three international conferenceseThe 18th AnnualInterdisciplinary Entrepreneurship Conference, November13e14th, 2014, Oldenburg, Germany; The Global Cleaner Produc-tion and Sustainable Consumption Conference, November 1e4,2015, Sitges-Barcelona, Spain; The 8th International SustainabilityTransitions Conference, June 18e21, 2017, Gothenburg, Sweden.Peer Reviewe