Institutional Change in the Automotive Industry Or how fuel cell technology is being institutionalised

In the automotive industry the Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) is increasingly seen as the sustainable alternative to internal combustion engine (ICE)-based vehicles. The growing popularity of FC technology in the automotive industry provides an interesting case. Where one would expect the mature automotive industry to dismiss FC technology in order not to jeopardise its ICE technology, several billions of dollars have been spent on the development of FCVs by automotive firms. And, although FCVs are not yet available on the market, the auto industry continues to be optimistic about their prospects. Therefore, we are potentially on the forefront of a major technological change. Given the need for change in order to achieve sustainability, FC technology provides an interesting case to study why the industry has come to adopt this technology, and how FC technology is in the process of becoming institutionalised. Using institutional theory, this paper endeavours to unravel the forces and mechanisms that have shaped the popularity of fuel cell technology in the automotive industry. l Technological change