Catalyzation can be understood as a continual process of stimulating the reconfiguration of an ecosystem. Through this process, the key factors that define the core-functioning of the ecosystem, such as power, resource flows, relationships, and purpose, are reconfigured. Stimulation may happen on different levels simultaneously until there is a tipping point and a new equilibrium is reached in which emergent patterns become dominant.
Source: Leadbeater, C., & Winhall, J. (2020). Building better systems: A green paper on system innovation, 31-38, The Rockwool Foundation