Unravelling the dynamics of adopting novel technologies: An account of how the closed greenhouse opened-up

Realising broad adoption of complex novel technologies is an important innovation challenge. This paper identifies four notions on the dynamics of adoption of complex novel technologies and two main challenges that hinder adoption. These insights derive from studying literature and analysing the implementation history of the first eight growers that adopted the novel system innovation closed greenhouse. The analysis of these eight histories shows that variety exists in how users value an innovation and that adopters reconstruct the innovation, which creates high levels of uncertainty about the functioning of the system innovation. To stimulate the adoption of novel system innovations and to keep initial values in-scripted, we suggest innovation policy makers to further shelter the system innovation until the stage of take-off. © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.