Gerhard Fuchs
University of Stuttgart, Institute of Social Sciences, Faculty Member
- Dr. Gerhard Fuchs Dr. Gerhard Fuchs works at the University of Stuttgart (Department of Social Sciences). Before that... moreDr. Gerhard Fuchs
Dr. Gerhard Fuchs works at the University of Stuttgart (Department of Social Sciences). Before that he acted as a Deputy Director of the Department Technology, Organization, Work of the Centre for Technology Assessment in Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart. His research interests concentrate on the study of innovation especially in the fields of New Information and Communication Technologies, Local/Regional Innovation Systems and the development of new industries (e.g. ICT, Biotechnology, Renewable Energies). His research interests have found its imprint in the development of several long term research programmes, a wide variety of publications as well as the involvement in various international projects. Fuchs is now affiliated with the Helmholtz project group on „Future Infrastructures for Meeting Energy Demands“, leading various projects and coordinating a research stream.
CURRICULUM VITAE
31.3.1956 born in Munich
WS 1976 - WS 1982 studied Economics, Political Science, Sociology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München
1.10.1982 - 31.3.1983 Research Assistent with Professor Dr. Hans Jonas (New School for Social Research, New York; Eric-Voegelin Professor, München)
1.4.1983 - 31.3.1986 Assistant Professor for Political Science at the Geschwister-Scholl Institut für Politische Wissenschaft, München
1.4.1986 - 15.8.1988 Research Fellow Sonderforschungsbereich 333 der Universität München „Entwicklungsperspektiven von Arbeit“ (Special research unit on the Future of Work)
July 1987 Dr. phil. in Political Science
15.8.1988 - 31.8.1990 Visiting Associate Professor at Northwestern University, Evanston/Il. USA
1.12.1990 - 30.10.1992 Research Fellow at the Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung, Köln (Max-Planck-Institute for the Study of Societies)
1.11.1992 - 31.12.1993 Independent Consultant in the field of Telecommunications (FACTS)
1.1.1994 – 29.02.2004 Senior Research Fellow at the Akademie für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Baden Württemberg, Stuttgart (Center of Technology Assessment) responsible for the projects in the field of multimedia, telelearning, internet, regional economic restructuring etc. Since 2001 deputy director of the Department Technology, Organization, Work.
01.03.2004-
01.09.2012-30.08.2016
01.04.2013-31.03.2016 University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences
Various projects especially dealing with energy issues, e.g.
Research coordinator and project leader “Helmholtz Alliance on Future Energy Infrastructures”
Project leader “Local Innovation Impulses and the Transformation of the Energy System” (funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Educationedit
Research Interests: Economics, Political Science, Energy Policy, Regulation, Electricity, and 15 moreInfrastructure, Federal Republic of Germany, Regulierung, Empirical, Nachhaltigkeit, Energy Industry, Politikwissenschaft, Infrastruktur, Energiepolitik, Energieversorgung, Energiewirtschaft, Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Innovation, Economic sectors, and Energy Supply
Durch die politische Forderung nach einer Transformation des Energiesystems ist die Innovationsdynamik und -kapazitat des sozio-technischen Systems „Stromversorgung“ in das Zentrum der offentlichen Aufmerksamkeit geruckt. Die generelle... more
Durch die politische Forderung nach einer Transformation des Energiesystems ist die Innovationsdynamik und -kapazitat des sozio-technischen Systems „Stromversorgung“ in das Zentrum der offentlichen Aufmerksamkeit geruckt. Die generelle Architektur des Systems sowie die damit korrespondierenden grosen, zentral oder dezentral auszugestaltenden, technischen Infrastrukturen werden kontrovers diskutiert. In Deutschland gelten lokale Initiativen in Form einzelner Pioniere und Innovatoren als die Motoren eines okologischen Umbaus der Energieversorgung. Beispiele hierfur sind Burgerwindparks, Mini-/Mikro-KWK, Contracting oder intelligente Infrastrukturen. Die vier Beispiele fur Energieinnovationen verfolgen unterschiedliche Strategien und jeweils spezifische Ziele, die mit einer Transformation des Energiesystems verknupft sind. Wird es dadurch neue Routinen der Stromversorgung und -verteilung geben, die sich von den bestehenden, vorfindbaren Formen signifikant unterscheiden und von neuen Akteuren getragen werden? Gibt es auf den neu entstehenden bzw. sich verandernden Markten neue Bewertungen, neue Wettbewerbsregelungen, neue Formen der Kooperation? Kapitel eins beleuchtet die bisherige Rolle lokaler Innovationsimpulse im Transformationsprozess und entwickelt einen analytischen Zugang zur Untersuchung der Feldveranderungen.
Kurzfassung: Die Suche nach Neuerungen sowie deren Verbreitung ist aufgrund des rasant zunehmenden Güter-und Dienstleistungsaustausches sowie des Anstiegs des Informations-, Wissens-und Technologietransfers mehr und mehr in einem... more
Kurzfassung: Die Suche nach Neuerungen sowie deren Verbreitung ist aufgrund des rasant zunehmenden Güter-und Dienstleistungsaustausches sowie des Anstiegs des Informations-, Wissens-und Technologietransfers mehr und mehr in einem internationalen Kontext zu sehen. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt sich eine Vielzahl von Fragen:. Warum z.B. verlagern einige Unternehmen ihre FuE Aktivitäten ins Ausland, während andere ihre Aktivitäten weiterhin im Inland belassen? Welche Innovationsprozesse werden verlagert? Inwieweit hängen Innovationsprozesse im Inland von Entwicklungen in anderen Ländern ab? Welche Faktoren beeinflussen die auf internationaler Ebene ablaufenden Innovationsprozesse? Im Rahmen dieser Studie werden am Beispiel von Technologien aus dem Kohlekraftwerks-bereich die Innovationsstrategien multinationaler Unternehmen in ausgewählten Ländern näher untersucht. Bei den im Bereich der Kraftwerkstechniken aktiven Unternehmen ist grundsätzlich eine Zunahme der Anzahl von F&E Standorte...
... Another example of a successful regional catch-up strategy is the Irish software industry ... According to his analysis, the possibilities of integration in multimedia-related economic sectors are ... though not entirely, in the media... more
... Another example of a successful regional catch-up strategy is the Irish software industry ... According to his analysis, the possibilities of integration in multimedia-related economic sectors are ... though not entirely, in the media sector in spin-off firms from the broadcasting industry. ...
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Der Beitrag diskutiert neuere Ansatze in der soziologischen Theoriedebatte, die sich mit der Frage der Erklarung sozialen Wandels beschaftigen. In der einschlagigen Diskussion findet sich die Einschatzung, dass die Soziologie nur sehr... more
Der Beitrag diskutiert neuere Ansatze in der soziologischen Theoriedebatte, die sich mit der Frage der Erklarung sozialen Wandels beschaftigen. In der einschlagigen Diskussion findet sich die Einschatzung, dass die Soziologie nur sehr bedingt das Thema der Veranderung und des Wandels sozialer Systeme angenommen hatte. Das Defizit beseitigen wollen Ansatze, die insbesondere im Umkreis feldtheoretischer Uberlegungen und der so genannten relationalen Soziologie ausgearbeitet wurden. Sollte die Diagnose eines nicht tragfahigen analytischen Instrumentariums richtig sein und die vorgeschlagenen neuen Ansatze vielversprechend, konnen sich hier interessante Querverbindungen zwischen an Innovation interessierter Forschung und allgemeiner Sozialtheorie entwickeln. Am Beispiel der Unterscheidung zwischen inkrementellen und radikalen Innovationen werden die theoretischen Grundpositionen feldtheoretischer Uberlegungen verdeutlicht. Zur empirischen Illustration der Uberlegungen wird die Transformation des deutschen Systems der Stromgewinnung und -verteilung analysiert.
Non-state and subnational actors active in sustainability transitions have increased considerably in recent years. However, the term “non-state actors” is not consensual in academia and in policy cycles because of the diversity of their... more
Non-state and subnational actors active in sustainability transitions have increased considerably in recent years. However, the term “non-state actors” is not consensual in academia and in policy cycles because of the diversity of their nature, actions, processes, objectives and outcomes. We defend the opinion that it is actions, rather than actors, that we need to focus on to speed up transitions. We emphasize how talking about non-state actions refocuses the debate on the quality of actions rather than on their origin. Our proposition is to focus on non-state actions according to two trajectory dimensions. First, the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report on 1,5°C may serve as a guide. Now, there is no doubt that every action launched by non-state actors must target a net zero emission business plan in the coming months in order to respect the Paris Agreement trajectory. Secondly, actions need to be considered in the light of their potential transformative...
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The field of electricity supply has slowly evolved over a long period of time. Electricity supply constitutes an example of a large technical system resistant to sudden changes or reorientations. The essential incentives for changes have... more
The field of electricity supply has slowly evolved over a long period of time. Electricity supply constitutes an example of a large technical system resistant to sudden changes or reorientations. The essential incentives for changes have come from the so called oil-price shocks in the mid ninety-seventies of the last century, the Chernobyl accident and the resulting critical attitude towards nuclear energy in many countries, the liberalization of markets driven forward by the European Commission, discussions about climate change and finally the Fukushima catastrophe. Such external events can lead to changes in governance structures. The standard operating procedure is to have the incumbent actors deal with external challenges in the established way of doing things (structures and actors). We assume that changes in the governance structure are not an immediate reaction to external shocks, but rather these external shocks have to be interpreted, mediated by new, skilled actors and per...
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Since the proclamation of the German 'Energiewende' by the Federal Government in 2011, the transition of the energy supply system has accelerated. In 2011, the Helmholtz-Alliance - ENERGY TRANS - Future Infrastructures for Meeting... more
Since the proclamation of the German 'Energiewende' by the Federal Government in 2011, the transition of the energy supply system has accelerated. In 2011, the Helmholtz-Alliance - ENERGY TRANS - Future Infrastructures for Meeting Energy Demands. Towards Sustainability and Social Compatibility - was launched to perform an interdisciplinary analysis of the social challenges presented by the energy transition. The study presented here, Adaptive Capacities, Path Creation, and Variants of Sectoral Change is embedded within the Helmholtz-Alliance and analyses the organizational changes within the German energy system from a sociological perspective. ...
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A characterizing feature of the German electricity transition is that it started as a movement arising from the civil society. Initially the movement was directed against nuclear energy and later on turned into a movement favouring... more
A characterizing feature of the German electricity transition is that it started as a movement arising from the civil society. Initially the movement was directed against nuclear energy and later on turned into a movement favouring decentralized forms of energy production and distribution as well as local control over energy issues. Once these demands found official recognition and regulatory support, a dynamic development ensued in which a host of new actors with new ideas and strategies became involved in the field of electricity generation. Regions, cities and villages experimenting with socio-technical innovations and aiming to implement new concepts developed governance structures under high uncertainty. These governance structures mirror space-specific social, political, technological and economic constellations. Once the old incumbent actors in the field began to falter, both government and electricity providers started to stem the tide of decentralized initiatives, whose dynamic in fact has recently been seriously weakened. In order to help us better understand these developments in a more generic context, the political-cultural theory of strategic action fields as developed by Neil Fligstein and Doug McAdam will be applied.
The article analyses the case of a successful innovation in the energy sector: the development of a market for Photovoltaics. It argues that - given the special characteristics of the energy sector - successful innovation depends on... more
The article analyses the case of a successful innovation in the energy sector: the development of a market for Photovoltaics. It argues that - given the special characteristics of the energy sector - successful innovation depends on strong political support and an advocacy coalition. The method chosen to realize a successful innovation constituted the creation of a quickly expanding niche market especially with the help of regulatory instruments.
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Research Interests: Renewables and Innovation
Abstract This article examines the dramatic restructuring of the telecommunications sector during the 1980s and continuing through the present decade. The European Commission has worked hard for that restructuring, but the activities of... more
Abstract This article examines the dramatic restructuring of the telecommunications sector during the 1980s and continuing through the present decade. The European Commission has worked hard for that restructuring, but the activities of the Commission can hardly be ...
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ABSTRACT Abstract will be provided by author.
Innovation theory has pointed to the complex, non-linear character of innovation processes. Heterogeneous networks of actors including a mixed spectrum of many and diverse academic, economic, and governmental agencies combine to achieve... more
Innovation theory has pointed to the complex, non-linear character of innovation processes. Heterogeneous networks of actors including a mixed spectrum of many and diverse academic, economic, and governmental agencies combine to achieve innovations. Is there any role for innovation policy beyond influencing framework conditions in such a situation? The article analyzes the case of a successful innovation in the energy sector: photovoltaics. It argues that - given the special characteristics of the energy sector - successful innovation depended on strong political support and an advocacy coalition, which achieved institutional backing. The method chosen to realize the innovation was the creation of a niche market with the help of regulatory instruments.
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Innovation theory has pointed to the complex, non-linear character of innovation processes. Heterogeneous networks of actors including a mixed spectrum of many and diverse academic, economic, and governmental agencies combine to achieve... more
Innovation theory has pointed to the complex, non-linear character of innovation processes. Heterogeneous networks of actors including a mixed spectrum of many and diverse academic, economic, and governmental agencies combine to achieve innovations. Is there any role for innovation policy beyond influencing framework conditions in such a situation? The article analyzes the case of a successful innova-tion in the energy sector: photovoltaics. It argues that -given the special character-istics of the energy sector – successful innovation depended on strong political support and an advocacy coalition, which achieved institutional backing. The method chosen to realize the innovation was the creation of a niche market with the help of regulatory instruments.
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The question why and how innovation occurs is a subject of hot debate in policy, science, and economy. We describe a judgmental approach to innovation systems research that accounts for the complexity and interdisciplinary character of... more
The question why and how innovation occurs is a subject of hot debate in policy, science, and economy. We describe a judgmental approach to innovation systems research that accounts for the complexity and interdisciplinary character of innovation processes and policy impacts. An interdisciplinary expert panel developed a qualitative model of an innovation system for a set of five energy technologies.
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... Another example of a successful regional catch-up strategy is the Irish software industry ... According to his analysis, the possibilities of integration in multimedia-related economic sectors are ... though not entirely, in the media... more
... Another example of a successful regional catch-up strategy is the Irish software industry ... According to his analysis, the possibilities of integration in multimedia-related economic sectors are ... though not entirely, in the media sector in spin-off firms from the broadcasting industry. ...