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A sustainable, interconnected, or safe society requires action from the entire society. Companies, consumers, knowledge institutions, and governments each play their own role in this. Starting from this perspective, we analyse innovation from a systemic viewpoint. This involves looking not only at the innovators (often companies and knowledge institutions), but also at other societal actors, laws and regulations, networks, infrastructure, and facilities that either enable or hinder innovation.
The aviation sector is working towards a more sustainable and safer industry, according to the Innovation Strategy for Aviation (2023). Goals include ensuring international connectivity while reducing environmental impacts. Different approaches can be taken to achieve these objectives, such as changing travel behaviours, reducing travel, or implementing innovation in technologies or processes. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) has asked us to examine how the innovation system in aviation functions: is the system well-designed to promote innovation? How can this be monitored?
Commissioned by IenW, we addressed these questions using the framework for Transformation-Oriented Policy, which builds upon the TransMission model. By developing and applying a new monitoring tool, we identified factors that promote innovation and those that act as barriers. This analysis provided various insights for each case within the innovation strategy. For instance, drone innovation in the Netherlands is progressing so rapidly that regulations struggle to keep up. Simultaneously, there is significant expertise in sustainable aircraft propulsion, yet incentives to phase out fossil fuels and transition to hydrogen – despite various standards – remain limited.
The TransMission model has demonstrated its value in analysing innovation systems aimed at societal objectives. Based on the associated advice for Transformation-Oriented Policy, we identified opportunities to strengthen the role of IenW, other governments, and the sector within the innovation system. A similar methodology is applied in analysing success factors and policy options for transition and transformation processes in other sectors, such as the food industry.
