ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the development of the innovation system for upstream petroleum over the last two decades, looking at changes in actor constellations, technologies and institutions. As the sector has matured alongside the natural environment on which the sector is built (i.e. the shelf), the innovation system has increasingly been characterised by a concentration of resources, but also increased diversity of actors – particularly among the suppliers. The supply industry has also grown due to the increased investment in advanced technological solutions, particularly in areas such as subsea and reservoir knowledge, necessary for petroleum production in a mature region. These particular technology domains have also been strongly supported by the institutionalisation of a public innovation support structure for oil and gas.
