Page - (000215) - in Knowledge and Networks

209 societies, through positive feedback processes, which are fueled across several industries (Cowan & Hultén, 1996; Dennis & Urry, 2009, pp. 54–61; Kirsch, 2000). Given the interlocking technological, economic, and societal complexity of the automotive system, which is deeply ingrained in both the supply and demand side of modern societies with their organizations and institutions, platforming is unlikely to compete seriously with the present path either nationally or regionally. This inability to “unlock regional economies” (Hassink, 2005) particularly characterizes localities such as the Stuttgart region, with its organizations and institutions whose economic future is closely aligned with the automotive system. They depend on the present technology. But, as we have shown, it also distinguishes Berlin and similar regions that depend significantly less on the present powertrain technology. Nonetheless, platforming is more than just an experimentation with possible future worlds, and as such it is more than only unsettling to actors treading the established and often strategically extended path (Sydow, Windeler, Schubert, & Möllering, 2012). Instead, platforming helps open a window, on the supply side at least, by integrating a related variety of actor groups with divergent interests and complementary resources to foster cross-sectorial coordination and learning aimed at cross-fertilization. It can rather strongly stimulate construction of a complemen- tary institutional infrastructure around which an alternative national or regional 11/2008 Strategy Conference on Electromobility 03/2009 2nd Economic Stimulus Package 08/2009 Development Plan, but Continuing Lack of Coordination 05/2010 Start National Platform for Electromobility (NPE) 05/2011 Government Program Electromobility 11/2010 Release of NPE’s First Interim Report 06/2009 Pilot Region, but No Success in Leading- Edge Cluster Competition 01/2012 Cluster ElectromobilitySouth-West and National Showcase Electromobility 09/2009 Cabinet Hearing 03/2010 Creation of e-mobilBWAgency 11/2010 Start R&D Network TecNet automotive bw 11/2009 Federal State Initiative End of 2008 Applications for R&D Programs 03/2011 Presentation of Proposal for Leading-Edge Cluster Competition 10/2011 Announcement Program ElectromobilityShowcases Berlin Region 06/2009 Pilot Region, but Failed R&D-Networking Initiative 03/2010 Steering Committee Industrial Policy 04/2010 First Concept Paper 10/2010 High-level Meeting; Founding of eMO Agency 03/2011 Regional Action Plan 06/2011 Multistakeholder Workshop 01/2012 International ElectromobilityShowcase Autumn 2008 First Demonstration Projects Announced Stuttgart Region National Context Reinforced Wishful Thinking Coordinated Action Based on This Thinking, First Successes Coordinated and Cross-Sectorial Action Collective Uncertainty Joint Agreement Decreased Collective Uncertainty through Political Successes Agenda Setting Little Relevance Technological Playground 02/2010 Interdepartmental Joint Unit 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 Fig. 10.1 Triggering events in the field of electromobility in the Stuttgart and Berlin regions (Design by authors) 10 Platforming for Path-Breaking