Adriaan van der Loos

Dr. Adriaan van der Loos is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University's Faculty of Geosciences within the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development's Innovation Studies group. His research focuses on sustainability transitions with particular emphasis on the energy transition, guided by innovation systems theory and economic geography.

His research interests include:

• Sustainability transitions and energy transition pathways
• Innovation systems theory and resilience
• Offshore wind development in the Netherlands, Norway, and Europe
• Global value chains and local industrial development
• Environmental governance and transnational private regulation
• Certification systems and non-state business-NGO partnerships

Dr. van der Loos' work demonstrates a clear evolution from environmental governance studies (particularly private forestry regulation in Russia and Central & Eastern Europe) toward energy transition research. His publications reveal significant contributions to understanding the co-evolution of innovation systems and contextual factors, the interplay between transformative innovation policy and technological lock-in, and global value chain dynamics in renewable energy sectors.

His research portfolio shows strong comparative work between Norway and the Netherlands, examining how similar technologies develop differently across institutional contexts. Recent publications (2024-2025) focus on system resilience and sustainable energy experiments while maintaining his core focus on offshore wind development dynamics.

Dr. van der Loos actively contributes to Utrecht University's Pathways to Sustainability research theme, specifically the Energy in Transition focus area, addressing critical questions about transitioning toward sustainable energy systems while fostering industrial development.