A socio-technical governance perspective on the roles of the state in the governance of socio-technical change: The European Commission in the governance of Connected, Connective, Automated Mobility in the EU

This thesis studies the role of the state in the governance of socio-technical change, motivated by Borrás and Edler (2020) which call for an embedded approach toward this. It proposes a socio-technical governance perspective based on the Multilevel Perspective and Triple Embeddedness Framework. Usage is made of a case study, which is the governance of Connected, Connective, Automated Mobility (CCAM) in the EU with the European Commission as the state. CCAM is an emerging technology that integrates connective data exchange with autonomous vehicles which promises to support higher levels of autonomous driving. It concludes that CCAM has transformative potential on many components, from industry to road infrastructure. Because of the EU Single Market, and an expected transition period, harmonization is central in governance. The Commission requires to shape the framework in which CCAM needs to function while aligning the capabilities of other actors. CCAM is viewed as an instrument to protect the Single Market and to further break down barriers between member states, leading to more European integration. But to do so, more EU coordination and integration are required which creates a self-reinforcing governance practice that brings CCAM towards the core of the Single Market based on governance innovation.