Drawing on innovation literature, this article contests the wisdom of the conventional linear innovation model (invention-demonstration-commercialization-diffusion) and argues that innovation in the case of biogas is, instead, characterized by numerous feedback loops between research, demonstration, commercialization and diffusion. Furthermore, these feedback loops are heavily influenced and shaped by public sector interventions in many aspects of the innovation activities. The article presents the history of Danish farm biogas plants and their present status and discusses the development and implementation of the technology in relation to innovation achievements. The article thus concludes that innovation can be better understood in terms of a dynamic model drawing on initiatives by private, public and academic actors.

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This paper discusses how the Danish biogas sector can achieve the political goals set outby the Danish government, in order to turn around the currently weak implementation ofthe technology. Biogas technology provides many environmental and energy relatedbenefits, but the transition capability of the technology has so far not been supported by astable policy pushing the sector in the right direction. The paper argues that a moreholistic and consistent support for the biogas sector must be developed, enhancing itsindependence from shifting Danish policy regimes. This could be achieved by applying abackcasting methodology in combination with future research activities which areidentified by means of energy chain analysis. The paper stresses that future Danish biogasresearch should be applied all along the sector’s energy chain, and not just in parts of it,looking at enhancement of the transition capability within ‘Resources’,‘Technology/Conversion’ and ‘Distribution/End-use’. The future research activities,proposed in this paper are interconnected and thought backwards with the goal ofcreating reachable aims for achieving the political targets set forth before the year 2020and 2050.