Understanding technical development: the concept of ''Technological Regime''

In the literature on technical innovation and development, various concepts have been developed to account for the often cumulative and patterned character of technical development. This special issue explores the possibilities and limitations of one such concept: the concept of technological regime. In this introduction, we introduce the concept of technological regime and explain why we have chosen to focus on this concept. We also give an overview of the various contributions. In a concluding contribution, we will discuss a number of general themes that emerge from the different contributions and that are important for further research on technological regimes in particular and on technological development and change in general.