Title: Cleantech Niche Development: a small business perspective on climate change

Authors: Christian Koch; Bettina Foged Sørensen; Merete Wildner

Addresses: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Sven Hultins Gatan 8, Gothenburg 41296, Sweden ' Kaastrup ' Andersen A/S, Torvet 14, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark ' Cobham Surveillance, Illerupvej 12, Vederslund 8660, Skanderborg, Denmark

Abstract: The mitigation of climate change enables and requires a number of new companies and businesses to emerge. This paper investigates what it takes for a niche company in these emerging cleantech businesses to be able to act and grow using transition theory. A company that manages to perform successful Cleantech Niche Development (CND) will be able to have an environmentally and financially sustainable business, enabling it to compete against companies from the dominant fossil fuel regime. By combining theory and empirical material gathered through interviews and desk research, CND is found to be distinctive in five respects: marketing, political and government aspects, networking, strategising and social relations. Cleantech leaders should master acting in a world of chaos upon the paradoxical and complex surroundings, while creating meaning for their colleagues and business network.

Keywords: business development; cleantech leadership; niche business; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; climate change; sustainable business; sustainable development; sustainability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2012.049445

International Journal of Global Warming, 2012 Vol.4 No.3/4, pp.365 - 382

Received: 22 Nov 2011
Accepted: 10 Jun 2012
Published online: 13 Dec 2014 *

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