Technology spillovers in clean energy technologies and the role of policy | Laura Anadon

Prof Laura Diaz Anadon holds the chaired Professorship of Climate Change Policy at the University of Cambridge. Laura will present the paper Technology Spillovers in Clean Energy Technologies and the Role of Policy.

Abstract

Theories of innovation point to the critical role of innovation spillovers in driving economic growth and technology innovation, and there is a long empirical literature on study of spillovers. However, there is little systematic evidence and understanding of the mechanisms by which spillovers occur across technology domains (rather than firms or geographies), partly due to the focus on patent and trade data in many studies. In this talk I will first present a framework for conceptualizing the process of technology spillovers and then discuss the role of spillovers in the evolution of three key clean energy technologies—solar PV, lithium-ion batteries and solid-state lighting—using a mixed methods approach. I will then consider evidence regarding the relative roles of targeted R&D and spillovers when compared to learning-by-doing and economies of scale in terms of their contributions to changes in technology cost and performance. Finally, I will discuss how spillovers occurred, possible implications for the modelling of technological change, and the role (and potential) of different types of policies and research structures in facilitating boundary-crossing knowledge to accelerate future clean energy innovation.

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