TITLE:
Orchestrating the Transition: Non-Market Strategy and Competitive Advantage in Uzbekistan’s Renewable Energy Sector
AUTHORS:
Fayzullaeva Shakhnoza, Longfei Lin
KEYWORDS:
Orchestration Strategy, Renewable Energy Transition, State-Led Transition, Non-Market Strategy, Institutional Entrepreneurship, Uzbekistan
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.2,
February
2,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study examines how international renewable energy firms design and execute non-market strategies to achieve competitive advantage in Uzbekistan’s state-led energy transition. Through a qualitative multiple-case study analysis of leading developers operating under Uzbekistan’s distinctive “Uzbek Model” of reverse auctions and centralized procurement, the research identifies three core strategic domains: proactive institutional creation, pragmatic mitigation of institutional voids, and the management of paradoxical relationships with both the state and competitors. The findings introduce and develop the concept of orchestration strategy a firm-level dynamic capability to simultaneously compete within a state-defined arena while collaborating to build its institutional and operational foundations. The study contributes to non-market strategy and institutional theory by bridging macro-transition pathways with micro-level strategic action, and offers practical insights for firms and policymakers navigating similar state-orchestrated green energy transitions.