Scaling Up or Deep Scaling? Problematizing the Scalability Imperative in Technological Innovation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5362014 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brice Laurent (0000-0003-2911-3431, Mines Paris, PSL Research University, CSI—Centre de Sociologie de l’Innovation, i3 UMR CNRS, France), Alexandre Violle (0000-0002-2344-1912, École des hautes études en sciences sociales, CEMS—Centre d’étude des mouvements sociaux, UMR CNRS, Paris, France, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 419-446 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science Technology & Human Values (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0162-2439 • E-ISSN: 1552-8251 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01622439241259411 |
| OpenAlex | W4401027843 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 11 |
| References cited | 43 |
This paper problematizes the obsession with "scaling up" that is visible in numerous technological domains. Using the case of hydrogen mobility projects in France, we identify a tension between a discourse of rapid scaling for nationwide deployment, and projects undertaken by local authorities and private companies who make small-scale experiments with hydrogen cars and charging stations more dense, by adding uses, actors, and technical functionalities. We use the term "deep scaling" to characterize the latter approach. By examining projects focusing on "ecosystems" of hydrogen mobility, we discuss the consequences of deep scaling for the geographic and economic extension. In this configuration, technologies are not expected to expand to vast territories by remaining the same at a bigger scale. Instead, they are attached to local sites and develop alongside them, which raises the issue of the connections between those sites. The analysis of deep scaling allows us to identify potential alternatives to ready-made discourses of scalability and contribute to the analysis of the politics and practices of scaling
Business · Data science · Economic geography · Economics · Physics · Political science · Politics · Scalability · Scaling · Sociology · Software deployment · Computer Science · Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development · Law · Transportation and Mobility Innovations · Urban Transport and Accessibility
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| Unique citing works | 11 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 11 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 11 |