Transformation and dynamics of innovation networks - the case of the german automotive research network

The present dissertation deals with the structural dynamics of innovation networks during systemic technological upheavals. It consists of three empirical papers that analyze this phenomenon through the lens of the fundamental transformation within the German automotive research network, which is currently undergoing a regime change from internal combustion engines to electric powertrains. The individual papers examine how structural changes in technological composition and research networks co-evolve, which actor-specific and institutional characteristics drive the formation and dissolution of cooperative relationships, and at what pace regional environments initiate R&D collaborations. These empirical analyses are embedded in an introductory framework paper that outlines the socio-technical transition of the sector, details the underlying network database, and establishes the overarching theoretical perspective.