The rapid rise of innovation in green technology : biogas entrepreneurship

Abstract: The development of farm-operated biogas plants in Sweden is increasing. This study investigates the process that firms go through in developing such ventures. The aim is to identify obstacles and opportunities that individual farmers have encountered during the implementation process, and through a comparative analysis find similarities and differences between cases. The overall goal is to increase understanding of the factors that influence farmers’ development of farm-based biogas production, and more specifically, explore opportunities for support organizations to contribute to the innovation process. Findings indicate that the implementation process has changed over time. In early cases, starting twenty years ago, farm entrepreneurs did their own research and traveled abroad to gain knowledge. Even with these efforts, biogas plants were not immediately built because the current technology was not applicable in the Swedish context. As a result, several years went by before Swedish farm entrepreneurs progressed from an initial idea to actual implementation. The analysis suggests that the problems faced in the implementation process mainly arose from a lack of Swedish expertise and knowledge. More recent cases show that a change has occurred in the market. Swedish support organizations have increased their capabilities and now provide help in the implementation process. However, the expertise offered is predominantly knowledge-based and only contributes in small ways to farmers’ practical know-how. As support organizations reach out to biogas entrepreneurs within the field, their most important role is to act as a link between established biogas operations and farmers interested in developing their own ventures.