Renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind power are now mature enough to be utilized as a means to build a sustainable energy system. Regardless, the diffusion of these technologies is not always a seamless process since it involves many actors and complex implementation procedures. Therefore, there is a need for actors that can facilitate the diffusion of these technologies. Diffusion intermediaries such as project developers can play a crucial role in this regard, by acting between input providers such as technology suppliers and adopters to facilitate the implementation of these technologies. This thesis scrutinizes the raison d'être (reason for being) of diffusion intermediaries by focusing on the activities of and value generation by solar and wind power diffusion intermediaries in Sweden.

The thesis is based on qualitative methods, including a qualitative survey with semi-structured interviews of diffusion intermediaries in Sweden, a one-month longitudinal embedded case study of one solar PV intermediary in Sweden, and a longitudinal multiple case study of six large-scale projects. The results of these studies are presented in a compiled synthesis and three appended papers.

The findings of these studies indicate that the raison d'être of diffusion intermediaries is to broker between at least two other parties in implementation projects. A literature review revealed that scholars do not always succeed in explicating the in-betweenness of intermediaries. By contrasting intermediation activities with other activities, it was possible to provide a more complete and nuanced understanding of the complex context that diffusion intermediaries are part of. The results reflect that diffusion intermediaries are, to some extent, involved in one-to-one activities that can be important in satisfying adopters’ needs. The results also revealed that value creation in implementation projects unfolds during the collaboration and that a potentially fruitful approach aims at focusing on value co-creation with adopters. It is also seen that it is possible to view intermediation as an iterative process consisting of both intermediation and other activities in different phases of implementation, which oftentimes starts and ends with non-intermediation activities.

These results have several policy and managerial implications. Managers are recommended to focus on adapting their services to match the different needs of adopters. Policy makers should consider the multifaceted activities that diffusion intermediaries conduct in order to make seemingly complex implementation procedures appear simple and comprehensible to adopters. Future research can focus on additional deep longitudinal case studies of diffusion intermediaries to provide a more detailed understanding of the activities associated with brokering in different empirical contexts.

Over recent decades, developments such as outsourcing, globalisation, product variety, and customisation have increased the number, variety, and interdependence of elements in supply chains, often across more geographically dispersed settings, while recent disruptions have exposed how uncertainty and change make their behaviour less predictable. Supply chain complexity (SCC) is defined here as the condition arising from the interaction of structural and dynamic complexity across the supply, internal, and customer dimensions of a bounded supply chain. Structural complexity concerns the number, variety, and interdependence of elements, whereas dynamic complexity concerns uncertainty and change over time.

SCC is a defining condition for systems integrators, actors that coordinate supplier-side inputs, internal activities, and customer-side requirements into a functioning delivery arrangement. Research on SCC describes these structural and dynamic properties, but says less about translating description into judgement, that is, which forms of complexity support action, which constrain it, and how this should be reassessed as conditions change. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how supply chain complexity can be understood and managed by systems integrators across different operational conditions.

The thesis draws on four studies of renewable energy intermediaries, solar PV adoption, engineer-to-order defence procurement, and defence firm resilience. It develops the Complexity Value Compass (CVC), which connects profiling structural and dynamic complexity, placing the profile in a Cynefin-informed decision domain, and judging whether complexity should be absorbed, maintained, or reduced. Its central claim is that complexity is judged not by how much is present, but by whether it provides the capacity the prevailing response logic requires.

The thesis shows that complexity profiles do more than describe structural and dynamic complexity; they help assess what kind of decision context the profile creates. Structure matters because it shapes whether dynamic complexity remains contained within a dimension or spreads across the supply chain. By translating Cynefin into a supply-chain-specific interpretation logic, the thesis shows how such profiles can inform judgements about whether complexity should be absorbed, maintained, or reduced. The CVC therefore works as a compass for orientation rather than as a route plan prescribing a fixed path of action.

Under de senaste decennierna har outsourcing, globalisering, produktvariation och kundanpassning gjort försörjningskedjor mer komplexa genom att öka antalet element, variationen mellan dem och deras inbördes beroenden, ofta över större geografiska avstånd. Samtidigt har senare tids störningar blottlagt hur osäkerhet och förändring gör försörjningskedjors beteende mindre förutsägbart. Försörjningskedjekomplexitet (SCC) definieras här som det tillstånd som uppstår ur samspelet mellan strukturell och dynamisk komplexitet över leverantörs-, intern- och kunddimensionerna i en avgränsad försörjningskedja. Strukturell komplexitet rör antalet element, deras variation och inbördes beroenden, medan dynamisk komplexitet rör osäkerhet och förändring över tid.

SCC är ett definierande villkor för systemintegratörer, aktörer som samordnar leverantörssidans insatser, interna aktiviteter och kundsidans krav till ett fungerande leveransupplägg. Forskningen om SCC beskriver dessa strukturella och dynamiska egenskaper, men säger mindre om hur beskrivning omsätts i bedömning, det vill säga vilka former av komplexitet som stödjer handling, vilka som begränsar den, och hur detta bör omprövas när förhållandena förändras. Avhandlingens syfte är att utforska hur försörjningskedjekomplexitet kan förstås och hanteras av systemintegratörer under olika operativa förhållanden.

Avhandlingen bygger på fyra studier om mellanhänder inom förnybar energi, adoption av solceller, inköp i engineer-to-order-projekt inom försvarsindustrin och resiliens i försvarsföretag. Den utvecklar Komplexitetsvärdekompassen (CVC), som knyter samman profilering av strukturell och dynamisk komplexitet, placering av profilen i en Cynefin-informerad beslutsdomän och bedömning av om komplexiteten bör absorberas, bibehållas eller reduceras. Dess centrala tes är att komplexitet inte bedöms utifrån hur mycket som vi finns, utan utifrån om den ger den kapacitet som den rådande responslogiken kräver.

Avhandlingen visar att komplexitetsprofiler inte bara beskriver hur strukturell och dynamisk komplexitet är fördelad, utan också hjälper till att bedöma vilken typ av beslutssituation profilen skapar. Strukturen påverkar om dynamisk komplexitet förblir avgränsad inom en dimension eller sprider sig mellan leverantörs-, intern- och kunddimensionerna. Genom att översätta Cynefin till en försörjningskedjespecifik tolkningslogik visar avhandlingen hur sådana profiler kan ligga till grund för bedömningen av om komplexitet bör absorberas, bibehållas eller reduceras. CVC fungerar därför som en kompass för situationsbedömning snarare än som en ruttplan som föreskriver en bestämd väg genom komplexiteten.