Innovating in public. The introduction of LED lighting in Berlin and Lyon

This dissertation discusses the introduction of LED lighting in urban spaces as an example of innovative public activities. The author conducts a microanalytical investigation into how this globally produced and distributed “disruptive technology” is installed and valorised in specific urban situations. LED pilot projects and demonstrations in cities are considered key innovative activities, as they allow innovators and technology users to present and test new concepts on urban audiences. In light of this, the author argues that the future of technological innovations is not only shaped by technology producers and users, but also urban observers. A series of six ethnographic case studies demonstrate how LED lighting was introduced, further developed and valorised in Berlin and Lyon between 2011 and 2013. The LED projects in both cities differ considerably. The actors in Lyon publically put cutting-edge LED technology to the test, while the Berlin LED installations are reassuringly conventional and exist within the framework of the German capital’s familiar cityscape. The six situational analyses demonstrate that these city-specific LED configurations are no coincidence, but the result of socio-material practices and settings. Theoretically, this work draws heavily on the field of science and technology studies (STS) and criticises macroanalytical innovation and diffusion research. A research gap is identified in innovation theory with regard to the conceptualisation of pilot and demonstration projects, that is, public situations in which innovation is recognised and valorised by heterogeneous groups of observers. In this context, the author proposes the notion of the ‘early public installation’ in order to sociologically conceptualise the situation-specific public introduction of new technology as an inherent part of innovation activities.