Background: Technological Transitions (TTs) have shaped the world we live in significantly through changes on multiple levels that involve various actor groups. Presently, the road-based transport industry faces severe environmental and economic challenges like the need to lower their substantial greenhouse gas emission share and to meet the driver shortage. Electric and autonomous are believed to be the most significant TTs in the industry since the 1950s and a potential solution to those problems. To realize such TTs, it is argued that collaborations with formal authorities such as states and policymakers can increase the possibility of successful institutional change. Especially in the transport industry, formal authorities play a critical role for transitions. However, research analysing TTs from the perspective of policymakers is scarce. 

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine the perspective of policymakers on the ongoing TTs of electric and autonomous technology and thereby complement the given understanding of TTs. 

Research Question: How do policymakers perceive the parallel TTs of electric and autonomous technology in the road-based transport sector? 

Method: Qualitative, Inductive research; Ontology – Relativism; Epistemology – Social constructionist; Axiology – Value-bound; Methodology – Single case study; Data collection – 16 semi-structured interviews; Sampling – Purposive; Analysis – Gioia method 

Conclusion: The findings of the study show that the policymakers’ perspective offers novel insights on TTs and its barriers as well as the policymakers’ motives in it, which can enable institutional entrepreneurs to better tailor their discursive strategies. Further, external pressures on the landscape level that create windows of opportunity were identified. Yet, on the given TTs there are more negatively than positively influencing factors from the policymakers’ perspective and learning processes for both technologies are still needed. Additionally, several factors that mediate the policymakers’ perspective, such as mutual dependencies with other actors and established practices were identified.