The enhancement of diffusion capabilities by transition intermediaries: A longitudinal study on the UK electrification of transport

• Transition intermediaries are the key to influencing the development of diffusion capabilities in niche actors. • Intermediaries configure an ecology through different phases of transition to support specific diffusion capabilities. • Through these efforts, transition intermediaries deploy two approaches: “Test and Demonstrate” and “Compete and Win”. • The study contributes to conceptualising the formation of capabilities in niches covering technical and commercial areas in sustainable transitions. Transition intermediaries are fundamental in promoting diffusion processes. However, previous research has rarely explored how the ecology of transition intermediaries enhances managerial capabilities in niches to accelerate the diffusion of technological innovation. This paper expands this literature by examining a longitudinal case study on the battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in the UK. The analysis reveals that transition intermediaries shape diffusion capabilities in niches for validating technical and business aspects of technological innovation. Building on these results, the present study extends the transition intermediary literature by integrating the capability approach from the management theory of the Resource-Based View (RBV) as a missing piece to illuminate the acceleration of diffusion processes during sustainable transitions.