(Re)envisioning the role of technology transfer intermediaries in socio-technical transition

Abstract

Recent year has seen a rise scholarly interest in examining the functions and value of technology transfer intermediaries (TTIs) in spurring and commercializing sustainable innovations. In this paper, we embark on a conceptual endeavor that explores existing research on TTIs to identify their various roles, structure, networks and practices that define their organizing patterns and schemas. We adopt an envisioning approach to reconceptualize the role of TTIs in sustainable transition and go on to reconceive the core insights from the extant literature to inform ways to facilitating a global socio-technical transition agenda. This attempt thus set forth a system that captures a global TTI market for the exchange of technological capabilities across regions. Our study contributes to discourses at the intersection of international technology transfer intermediaries and sustainability transition.