Social learning by doing in sustainable transport innovations: Ex-post analysis of common factors behind successes and failures

This article presents the results of a study into the factors governing success and failure in innovative projects in the area of sustainable transport. This can be regarded as an important example of ‘social learning by doing’. Data obtained through interviews with key players in eight ambitious innovation cases for the Netherlands are analysed. Common factors are identified and a statistical correlation analysis of success and failure factors is performed. We find that it is predominantly the political, process-related, socio-cultural and psychological factors that determine whether a project succeeds or fails. Technical/content-related and economic factors appear to be less important. Administrative/legal factors play an intermediate role.