Local implementation of transformative innovation policies: Ambiguities, strategic responses, and intertemporal conflicts

Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) offers a compelling framework for addressing societal challenges. However, its implementation requires a deeper understanding of the behavioural and relational dynamics among local actors because these dynamics can enable or hinder sustainable and inclusive policy outcomes. Drawing on an embedded case study of the implementation of residential electric vehicle charging infrastructure in England, we unveil how the interplay between policy ambiguities and emergent conflicts conditions the local pathways of TIP implementation. We show that local actors respond to ambiguities of role, means, and resourcing, and that these responses can shape three conflicts (purpose incongruence, commons contestation, and financial fragility) which evolve over time. Building on these insights, we develop a model of local TIP implementation that explains how implementing actors respond to ambiguities and how these responses shape conflicts. Overall, our analysis contributes to understanding the intertemporal and distributive challenges facing TIP implementation.