0SV10 Sustainable Technology in Society

Large Technical Systems (LTS)

Mila Davids November 2022
Welcome

Mila Davids

• Assistant Professor
• History of Technology
• Transition Studies
• Chair Exam Committee
Course Setup Diagnostics
Large Technical
Systems (LTS)

Sustainable
Development

Socio-Technical
System

Intervention
This hour
• Sustainable innovation & Large Technical Systems (LTS)

• Large Technical Systems approach

• Key concepts

• Exam & assignment

• Your questions
Sustainable innovation & Large Technical Systems
Sustainable innovation = a sociotechnical process

• Socio-technical systems

• Dynamics
Sustainable innovation & Large Technical Systems
Sustainable innovation = a sociotechnical process

• Socio-technical systems

• Dynamics

• Human action : system builders

• Diagnostics
Today
• Sustainable innovation & Large Technical Systems (LTS)

• Large Technical Systems approach

• Key concepts

• Exam & assignment

• Your questions
Large Technical Systems

• Thomas P. Hughes
• Systems instead of artifact
• Socio-technical systems

• Transdisciplinary approach
Readings for today
 System building – A sustainable energy example

/ name of department
Today
• Sustainable innovation & Large Technical Systems (LTS)

• Large Technical Systems approach

• Key concepts

• Exam & assignment

• Your questions
 Large Technical Systems
Technology Technology as Socio-technical systems

Human action System builders

Technological development Transdisciplinary Problem Solving

dynamics
Stability Momentum
Key concepts
Large Technical Systems
Socio-technical systems

System builders

Transdisciplinary Problem Solving

Momentum

“System builder”, “transdisciplinary problem solving”

→ how actors make/change sociotechnical systems
“Momentum”
→ why changing (unsustainable) incumbent systems is
difficult; and how they can change nevertheless
Technology
Large Technical Systems as socio-technical systems

Technical & non-technical elements

• Technical artefacts (generators, light bulbs / cars); systems (distribution network
/ road network)
• Government concessions, financing structures, sales strategies, user behaviour
=> One functional whole
Examples of various kind of Large Technical System

• Electricity supply, telephone systems: single purpose

• Road and water systems: multi purpose

• Transport system: different subsystems

• Public / private transport

Key: dynamics of these systems -> concept system builder

 Large Technical Systems
Human action System builders

Centrally positioned key actors

Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

• Individuals (developer)
• Business/Organizations
• Groups (cooperation)
 Large Technical Systems
Human action System builders

Systembuilders of 4 micro-hydel projects

-Hagestein – ADEM Houten (cooperative)

-Bosscherveld – local company
-Borgharen – private investor WKC Borgharen BV
-Roeven-Nederweert – private company
Approach: you follow these system builders in action

The system builders shape sociotechnical systems

‘weaving’ technical and non-technical elements

System builders face different challenges - Technical and non-technical

Critical problems

=> Transdisciplinary problem solving

 Large Technical Systems
Technology Technology as Sociotechnical systems

Human action System builder

Actor (developer/business/organisation) facing the technical
and non-technical challenges
Technological Transdisciplinary Problem Solving
development dynamics

Problems: different in nature

Solutions: different kind of solutions
 Thomas Edison & electric lighting
Thomas Edison (1847-1931):
• Research lab (Menlo Park) (1876)
• vision public electricity supply system (1878)
• Edison Electric Light Company – patents (1879)
 Technical & non-technical components
Company of New York – franchise distribution system (1879)

Gass works from Manhattan Gas Company (1862)

• Whole system for power generation & electriiy transmission.
Power grid; central power station with dynamo’s, wires, switch board, control
instruments, distribution system with inductors etc
• Business model with new companies
• Edison Electric Light Company
• Edison Illuminating Company of New York – franchise distribution system
(1879)
• Edison Illuminating Company of New York -> commercIal electric power
stations (1880)
• Edison Company for Isolated Lighting Company -> power systems for
factories & houses (1881)
+ companies to produce light bulbs, dynamos, distribution wires etc.
Advertisement January 25, 1890 Chicago Tribune
 Approach: follow the actors - Edison

Thomas Hughes used Edison’s notebooks

 Approach: follow the actors – hydel system builders

26
Systembuilders of 4 micro-hydel projects
-Hagestein – ADEM Houten
(cooperative)
-Bosscherveld – local company
-Borgharen - WKC Borgharen BV
-Roeven-Nederweert – private
company
*Visions: business opportunities –
sustainability
*Problem articulation: fish related
issues – lack of momentum

27
*Strategies:
1. ‘Yield to fit in’
2. ‘confirmative policy focus’
3. ‘hydel legitimation’
Part of Dutch water management
systems

28
Problem definition System builders problem articulation:

*multifunctionality of water infrastructure

-fish related issues
-water balancing
-navigation
-ecological function (fish related issues)
*lack of momentum
-

29
Socio-technical change not without conflict

Gass works from Manhattan Gas Company (1862) Lamplighter in London (early 20th C)
Hydro energy interests vs ecological interests
Systembuilder in Bosscherveld
 Large Technical Systems
Technology Technology as Sociotechnical systems

Human action System builder

Actor (developer/business/organisation) facing the technical and non-
technical challenges
Technological development Transdisciplinary Problem Solving
dynamics Interrelated problems (i.e., market, organization ideas, and
technological setup)
Competition & growth – manager-entrepreneur
Samuel Insull – Chicago power company
 Large Technical Systems
Technology Technology as Socio-technical systems

Human action System builders

Technological development Transdisciplinary Problem Solving

dynamics
Stability Momentum
 Momentum

Large Technical Systems

Stability Momentum
MOMENTUM (NL: “impuls”): A MATURE sociotechnical system has mass,
direction, and speed ……making it difficult to change course!!

• Mass = mass of interrelated components (technical & non-technical)

Material equipment – values/expectations – invested capital & efforts
in tangible & non-tangible assets - firms/organisations – users etc

• Direction & speed (e.g. towards scale increase, cost-effectiveness,

sustainability…)

Examples today: Fossil-fuel based energy and mobility systems; health care
system; global production systems…

(economics of innovation equivalent: “path dependency”, “lock-in”)

Example: automobile production system (Ford system)
Mass = mass of interrelated components (technical & non-technical)
Ford system:
-interconnected production lines
-processing plants
-raw material producers
-transportation and materials-handling networks
-R&D facilities
-distributors & dealers
Direction & speed (e.g. towards scale increase, cost-effectiveness,
sustainability…)
Example: automobile production system (Ford system)
Direction & speed (e.g. towards scale increase, cost-effectiveness,
sustainability…)
• Mass production
• Export
• Foreign Direct Investment (production facilities abroad)
• Growth of sector
• Increasing use
• Increasing road development
• …
• …
Stable & difficult to change

Large Technical Systems

Stability Momentum
Change not impossible

Extreme external conditions / externa shock:

warfare, oil crises, climate change, ..

Shared vision

Build countersystems (niches)

-interests of incumbent actors
(fish interest organizations, Rijkswaterstaat)
LTS => MLP - SNM
Today
• Sustainable innovation & Large Technical Systems (LTS)

• Large Technical Systems approach

• Key concepts

• Exam & assignment

• Your questions
Exam: Key concepts – see modules on Canvas
Assignment coming Friday

Make a system builder analysis of (part of) your case.

As a group discuss the LTS literature.

Find a system builder
Find a telling example of system builders designing technical and social aspects of a
‘sociotechnical system’
Analyse this example in terms of ‘transdisciplinary problem solving’
• Give sequences of articulation of problems
• Find sociotechnical design solutions: What are the proposed solutions? How do
technical + non-technical elements influence each-other?
• Portray the sociotechnical system development: What sociotechnical system does
emerge as a result? (Maybe you identify examples of momentum of the
incumbent system)
During the tutorial
During the tutorial, you will work on a poster and short (3 minute) poster
presentation for your case. Your poster (presentation) should include the
following:
1. Your sustainable technology / sustainability innovation
2. The context you analyze your technology in
3. The controversy surrounding your technology
4. Current applications of your technology
5. A system builder for your technology
6. An example of how this system builder designs / designed technical
and social aspects of the sociotechnical system of your technology
7. How this relates to transdisciplinary problem solving
46 School of Innovation Sciences
Tips
-Focus on key concepts (not on other concepts in articles)
Socio-technical system - System builder – Transdisciplinary problem solving –
Momentum
-Problems: articulated by system builder
How: Interviews – articles based on interviews
-Substantiate your statements
References - quotes
-Diagnosis – no recommendations
(2nd part of the course)
Today
• Sustainable innovation & Large Technical Systems (LTS)

• Large Technical Systems approach

• Key concepts

• Exam & assignment

• Your questions
See you on Friday!!

??
Thank you for your attention