Understanding green regional path development: a systematic study of the Nordic regions

This paper addresses the gaps in understanding green regional path development and the role of firm-level agency in driving regional green transitions. By analysing a large patent dataset covering 30 years, we provide a systematic account of green regional path development in 70 regions across four Nordic countries. We identify six types of green path development–extension, stagnation, extinction, diversification, renewal and creation–and explore how different types of organisations–incumbents and new entrants–contribute to these paths. We show that regions often have multiple green paths, and the dominant types are mostly driven by incumbents.