A comparison between two approaches of Innovation system and sustainability transition Case study of water access challenge in Iran

The paper aims to examine the feasibility of coupling the two approaches of innovation system and sustainability transition. Differentiating between bridging and integrating as shallow and deep coupling, it will probe their philosophical foundations and how they can be integrated. It finds out, by designing a 9 layered model to compare, what are their common and distinct characteristics and how their analytical, descriptive and explanatory capacities are increased by coupling. It concludes at the end, the coupling these two approaches is only possible by shallow bridging and not deep integrating due to the limitedness of the theoretical foundations of technological innovation system.