Efforts to develop alternative transport fuels and vehicles are found
in countries varying tremendously in their level of economic development. In this paper, we compare the alternative fuels transition,
focusing on ethanol, in three countries: Brazil, Malawi and Sweden.
Each can be described as a pioneer in developing the physical
and institutional infrastructure and stimulating innovation towards
alternative transport fuels. We assess the transition in these pioneer
countries based on niche formation and interaction with regime
and landscape levels. Particular reference is made to spatial and
temporal path dependencies and to the significance of cross-scale
and cross-sector effects that impact the innovation process. As
other countries and regions develop programmes to address the
twin challenges of energy security and climate change, they can
benefit from a better understanding of linkages between technoeconomic and socio-technical factors in transition paths of pioneer
countries, across different scales and different stages of economic
development.