This article contributes to the literature on sustainability transitions, innovation systems, and eco-innovation by addressing conceptual challenges regarding the systemic activities of intermediaries. Specifically, the article addresses a research gap pertaining to the ways in which the systemic activities of (eco-)innovation intermediaries can be conceptualised and empirically demonstrated. Empirically, the paper examines selected intermediaries in the context of support systems for eco-innovators in three regions across Finland, Germany, and Sweden. Drawing from our empirical findings and the literature on intermediaries, we conceptualise three system levels within which intermediation occurs: (i) in-between entities in a network, (ii) in-between networks of entities, and (iii) in-between actors, networks, and institutions. Our discussion suggests a heterogeneity of roles that individual intermediaries take at multiple system levels, complementing an emerging, more nuanced perspective of intermediaries in sustainability transitions. Thus, we suggest the term systemic intermediation for describing the system-level activities of intermediaries.

本文通过解决有关中介者系统活动的概念性挑战，为有关可持续性转型，创新系统和生态创新的文献做出了贡献。具体而言，本文解决了与（生态）创新中介机构的系统活动可以被概念化和通过经验证明的方式有关的研究空白。根据经验，本文在芬兰，德国和瑞典三个地区的生态创新者支持系统的背景下，考察了选定的中介机构。从我们的经验发现和有关中介的文献中，我们对发生中介的三个系统级别进行了概念化：（i）网络中实体之间，（ii）实体网络之间，以及（iii）参与者之间，网络和机构。我们的讨论提出了各个中介机构在多个系统级别上所扮演角色的异质性，补充了在可持续性转型中新兴的，更为细微的中介机构观点。因此，我们建议使用系统中介，用于描述中介的系统级活动。