► We analyze innovation effects of demand-pull/technology-push policies for solar PV. ► We explore domestic and foreign policy effects to investigate innovation spillovers. ► An innovation effect of ...domestic technology-push policies abroad is not detected. ► Yet substantive innovation spillovers of domestic demand-pull policies exist. ► Supranationally coordinated demand-pull policies needed to address spillover issue.
How to foster technical change is a highly relevant and intricate question in the arena of policymaking. Various studies have shown that technology-push and demand-pull policies induce innovation. However, there is a lack of work that distinguishes between the loci of policy support when assessing the policy–innovation relationship. We address this gap by shedding light on the question how the innovation effects of domestic and foreign demand-pull and technology-push policies differ. Using solar photovoltaic modules as a research case we conduct a panel analysis on 15 OECD countries over the period 1978 through 2005 with patent data. Three key findings emerged: First, our analyses find no evidence that domestic technology-push policies foster innovative output outside of national borders. Second, both domestic and foreign demand-pull policies trigger innovative output in a country. Third, we detect no indication that market growth induced by domestic demand-pull policies leads to more national innovative output than market growth induced by foreign demand-pull policies. Consequently, demand-pull policies create significant country-level innovation spillovers, which could disincentivize national policymakers to engage in domestic market creation. Based on these findings we discuss the need to establish supranational demand-pull policy schemes in order to address the spillover issue.
This study sheds light on the relationships between digital transformation, business model, and process efficiency capabilities, and new product development (NPD) performance by employing a ...sequential explanatory approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, utilizing structural equation modeling based on 430 questionnaire respondents, and a multiple case study design using four cases. The derived framework highlights that digital transformation does not directly lead to NPD performance but that organizations use idiosyncratic higher order (e.g., business model and process efficiency) capabilities that mediate this relationship to strategically cope with change. When assessing, reconfiguring, and integrating, organizations tap into internal and external value, individual, technological, and organizational (VITO) dimensions to transform operational capabilities and resources. Thus, higher order capabilities enable organizations to leverage firm-external opportunities to adjust intrafirm operational capabilities, resources, and competencies, emphasizing a complex hierarchical and contextual interplay. The contributions of the study are twofold: 1) we provide statistical evidence that the business model and process efficiency capabilities are coping mechanisms to master digital transformation and 2) the successful orchestration of VITO dimensions is essential for assessing, reconfiguring, and integrating resources, competencies, and operational capabilities to derive NPD performance.
Service innovation and service productivity are key elements of a firm's ability to gain competitive advantages. Although previous studies have advanced the understanding of each topic individually, ...few attempts have been made to bridge the gap between the two research streams. Endeavoring to explain how firms combine strategies for high service productivity with successful service innovation, we adopt a multiple-case research design. Results of a one-year field study in the financial services market show that firms are more likely to gain competitive advantages if they link multiple innovation configurations that fit with their productivity strategy. We identified 27 cases that facilitated productivity through cost emphasis, revenue emphasis, or a dual emphasis on both cost and revenue. Our data, which include 42 in-depth interviews as well as public documents, also suggest that two sets of service innovation configurations-new service development and service design-are linked together in relationships with service productivity.
Service innovation and service productivity are key elements of a firm’s ability to gain competitive advantages. Although previous studies have advanced the understanding of each topic individually, ...few attempts have been made to bridge the gap between the two research streams. Endeavoring to explain how firms combine strategies for high service productivity with successful service innovation, we adopt a multiple-case research design. Results of a one-year field study in the financial services market show that firms are more likely to gain competitive advantages if they link multiple innovation configurations that fit with their productivity strategy. We identified 27 cases that facilitated productivity through cost emphasis, revenue emphasis, or a dual emphasis on both cost and revenue. Our data, which include 42 in-depth interviews as well as public documents, also suggest that two sets of service innovation configurations—new service development and service design—are linked together in relationships with service productivity.
Developing countries are increasingly contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions and, consequently, climate change as a result of their rapid economic growth. In order to reduce their impact, ...the private sector needs to be engaged in the transfer of low-carbon technology to those countries. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is currently the only market mechanism aimed at triggering changes in the pattern of emissions-intensive activities in developing countries and is likely to play a role in future negotiations. In this paper, we analyse how the CDM contributes to technology transfer. We first develop a framework from the literature that delineates the main factors which characterise technology transfer. Second, we apply this framework to the CDM by assessing existing empirical studies and drawing on additional expert interviews. We find that the CDM does contribute to technology transfer by lowering several technology-transfer barriers and by raising the transfer quality. On the basis of this analysis, we give preliminary policy recommendations.
► The mis-design of the early EU ETS led to increased adoption of fossil technologies. ► ETS 3 had only limited effects on the rate and direction of corporate innovation. ► Conversely, long-term ...emission reduction targets were an important trigger of RD&D. ► We provide recommendations for revising the policy mix (including technology policies).
This article aims to empirically assess the impact of climate policy on technological change—a core objective of climate policy—by focussing on the changes it causes in the rate and direction of corporate innovation activities. To this end, we develop a cross-sectional framework based on concepts from evolutionary economics and organizational theory and, resting upon this framework, develop a set of hypotheses. We test these hypotheses using novel survey data on the electricity sector in seven EU countries. We find that the EU emission trading system (ETS) has limited and even controversial effects, and that long-term emission reduction targets are an important determinant of corporate innovation activities. Furthermore, technology policies emerge as an important element of the policy mix complementing climate policy. Based on our findings in this study, we make recommendations for policy makers on how to improve the existing policy mix.
In the power sector, technological change is a key lever to address the decarbonisation needed to avoid dangerous climate change. Policy makers aim to accelerate and redirect technological change by ...targeting relevant firms via climate policy, e.g., the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), and climate-relevant technology policies, e.g., feed-in tariffs. Changes in firm's behaviour, i.e., their research and development (R&D) as well as diffusion activities, are at the heart of technological change. However, firms are heterogeneous actors with varying attributes which perceive policy differently. Hence, they can be expected to react very heterogeneously to these new policies. Based on an original dataset of 201 firms, we perform a cluster analysis grouping firms along their R&D and diffusion activity changes. We then compare these clusters with regards to the characteristics of the contained firms. Our analysis results in seven clusters showing very diverse contributions to low-carbon technological change, suggesting potential for policy to become more effective. A comparison of the firms' characteristics allows us to derive indicative recommendations on how to adjust the policy mix in order to induce contributions from most firms in the power sector.
► Firms differ strongly regarding their contribution low-carbon technological change. ► E.g., about 40% of the surveyed firms have not changed their R&D and diffusion activities. ► These observations cast doubt upon the effectiveness of current policy. ► From the findings recommendations for making policy more effective are derived.
► We examine how deployment policies affect firm-level technological innovation. ► Deployment policies raise corporate investments in exploration. ► Deployment policies induce firms with mature ...technologies to focus on exploitation. ► Firms with less mature technologies cannot equally benefit from exploitation. ► Deployment policies need to be carefully designed to avoid technological lock-ins.
The recent years have seen a strong rise in policies aiming to increase the diffusion of clean energy technologies. While there is general agreement that such deployment policies have been very effective in bringing technologies to the market, it is less understood how these policies affect technological innovation. To shed more light on this important question, we conducted comparative case studies with a global sample of 9 firms producing solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, complemented by in-depth interviews with 16 leading PV industry experts. We propose that, on the one hand, policy-induced market growth serves as an important catalyst for innovative activity as it raises the absolute level of firm investments in technological exploration. On the other hand, however, deployment policies create an incentive for firms pursuing more mature technologies to shift their balance between exploitation and exploration toward exploitation. Firms focusing on less mature technologies cannot tap the potentials of exploitative learning to the same extent as those with more mature technologies. Therefore, stimulating strong market growth may raise the barrier to market entry for less mature technologies. We conclude that, when designing deployment policies, great care should be taken to avoid adverse effects on technological diversity and a premature lock-in into more established technologies.
This paper provides a detailed analysis of how the European Emission Trading System (EU ETS) as the core climate policy instrument of the European Union has impacted innovation. Towards this end, we ...investigate the impact of the EU ETS on research, development and demonstration (RD&D), adoption, and organizational change. In doing so, we pay particular attention to the relative influences of context factors (policy mix, market factors and public acceptance) and firm characteristics (value chain position, technology portfolio, size and vision). Empirically, our qualitative analysis is based on multiple case studies with 19 power generators, technology providers and project developers in the German power sector which were conducted in 2008/09. We find that the innovation impact of the EU ETS has remained limited so far because of the scheme's initial lack of stringency and predictability and the relatively greater importance of context factors. Additionally, the impact varies significantly across technologies, firms, and innovation dimensions and is most pronounced for RD&D on carbon capture technologies and organizational changes. Our analysis suggests that the EU ETS on its own may not provide sufficient incentives for fundamental changes in corporate innovation activities at a level which ensures political long-term targets can be achieved.
Solar power technologies will have to become a major pillar in the world's future energy system to combat climate change and resource depletion. However, it is unclear which solar technology is and ...will prove most viable. Therefore, a comprehensive comparative assessment of solar technologies along the key quantitative and qualitative competitiveness criteria is needed. Based on a literature review and detailed techno-economic modeling for 2010 and 2020 in five locations, we provide such an assessment for the three currently leading large-scale solar technologies. We show that today these technologies cannot yet compete with conventional forms of power generation but approach competitiveness around 2020 in favorable locations. Furthermore, from a global perspective we find that none of the solar technologies emerges as a clear winner and that cost of storing energy differs by technology and can change the order of competitiveness in some instances. Importantly, the competitiveness of the different technologies varies considerably across locations due to differences in, e.g., solar resource and discount rates. Based on this analysis, we discuss policy implications with regard to fostering the diffusion of solar technologies while increasing the efficiency of policy support through an adequate geographical allocation of solar technologies.
► We conduct a comprehensive comparative assessment of solar technologies (CSP/PV). ► While solar technologies approach competitiveness in 2020, no clear winner emerges. ► Solar resource & discount rate heavily impact competitiveness of solar technologies. ► Adequate geographical allocation of solar technologies increases policy efficiency. ► Focus on key cost down levers & strategic co-benefits of solar technologies needed.
