TechnologicalForecasting&SocialChange79( )155–171ContentslistsavailableatSciVerseScienceDirectTechnologicalForecasting&SocialChangeConceptualizingleapfroggingwithspatiallycoupledinnovationsystems:ThecaseofonsitewastewatertreatmentinChinaChristian Binza,⁎,Bernhard Truffer a,LiLib,YajuanShib,Yonglong Luba Eawag,SwissFederalInstituteofAquaticScienceandTechnology,Überlandstrasse133,8600Dübendorf,Switzerlandb StateKeyLaboratoryofUrbanandRegionalEcology,ResearchCenterforEco-EnvironmentalSciences,ChineseAcademyofSciences,Beijing100085,Chinaa r t i c l e i n f oa b s t r a c tArticlehistory:Received5July Receivedinrevisedform4August Accepted13August Availableonline13September Arapidimplementationofpotentiallymoresustainablesectorstructuresinnewlyindustrializingcountries (NICs) is of key importance to reach global sustainability. The conceptual basis forassessingsuch”leapfrogging”potentialsishowever stillratherweakly developed. The presentpaper elaborates an encompassing conceptual framework drawing on the technologicalinnovation systems literature and adding an explicit geographical focus that embeds an NIC'sinnovationsysteminitsinternationalcontext.Fromthis,wederivesixideal-typeleapfroggingtrajectories.TheframeworkisappliedtothecaseofapotentialtransitiontoonsitewastewatertreatmentinChina.Empiricalevidenceisbasedon30expertinterviewswithrepresentativesfromcompanies,universities,authoritiesandassociationsinChinaandEurope.Ourresultssuggestthatleapfrogging in the Chinese wastewater sector might develop in either an integrated”international innovation system” trajectory, where Chinese and international actors closelyinteract,orinan”internationalcompetition”trajectory,whereChineseactorsendogenouslybuildup technological leadership in strong competition to international actors. We conclude byoutlining policy implications and by discussing future research priorities...
