This book analyzes how the governance of innovation can foster sustainability. The quest for innovation is consistently at the top of the agenda for policy makers around the globe, on the supra-national level, as well as for the nation states and all the way down to debates in local governance and policy boards. At the same time, sustainability is a core feature of this dialogue in creating, diffusing and using technologies and products so that human needs can be met, while unnecessary natural resources are not being used or destroyed.

Based on these premises and given the complexity of sustainable innovation, there is an ever growing recognition among policy makers, industries and analysts that the development and diffusion of technological innovations need governing in order to contribute to societal goals such as climate change mitigation and resource efficiency. Such governance does not necessarily mean orchestration, imposing regulation or other policy measures in a top-down manner. Governance can be facilitated through a number of means and by various actors and different levels. This book presents a view of governance that involves almost all types of actors related to any specific sector or field.

This book is about how societies around the world can accelerate innovation in sustainable transport. It examines the relationship between policy change and the development of technological innovations in low carbon vehicle technologies, including biofuels, hybrid-electric vehicles, electric vehicles and fuel cells. Examining this relationship across countries and regions that are leaders in vehicle manufacturing and innovation, such as the European Union, Germany, Sweden, China, Japan, Korea and USA, the books aims to learn lessons about policy and innovation performance.