Explaining the diffusion of biogas in India: A new functional approach considering national borders and technology transfer

Renewable energy technologies have been identified as one important lever for mitigating environmental problems such as climate change. However, several obstacles stand in the way of their ample diffusion in both industrialized as well as developing countries. Besides the pure analyses of barriers to the diffusion of these technologies, the functions of innovation systems approach promises insights on how to augment their diffusion via policy measures. We extend these approaches by introducing a spatial dimension into the functions literature. Thereby, we allow transfer of technology, know-how and financial resources to be an integral part of the innovation system literature. By applying our new framework to the case of biogas in India, we do not only demonstrate its suitability and added value for researchers, but also derive policy recommendations for both, national and international policy makers on how to remove existing barriers by strengthening the functions of the innovation system. © 2013 Springer Japan.