Comparing the knowledge bases of wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe: Patent trajectories, networks, and globalisation

Yuan Zhou; Xin Li; Rasmus Lema; Frauke Urban

doi:10.1093/scipol/scv055

Comparing the knowledge bases of wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe: Patent trajectories, networks, and globalisation

Yuan Zhou, Xin Li, Rasmus Lema, Frauke Urban

The IKE Research Group

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

451 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This study uses patent analyses to compare the knowledge bases of leading wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe. It concentrates on the following three aspects: the trajectories of key technologies, external knowledge networks, and the globalisation of knowledge application. Our analyses suggest that the knowledge bases differ significantly between leading wind turbine firms in Europe and Asia. Europe’s leading firms have broader and deeper knowledge bases than their Asian counterparts. In contrast, the leading Chinese firms, with their unidirectional knowledge networks, are highly domestic in orientation with respect to the application of new knowledge. However, Suzlon, the leading Indian firm, has a better knowledge position. While our quantitative analysis validates prior qualitative studies it also brings new insights. The study suggests that European firms are still leaders in this industry, and leading Asian firms are unlikely to create new pathways that will disrupt the incumbents in the near future.

Original language	English
Journal	Science and Public Policy
Volume	43
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	476-491
Number of pages	16
ISSN	0302-3427
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scv055
Publication status	Published - 2016

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by the joint project 'Technological Trajectories for Climate Change Mitigation in China, Europe and India' funded by the Svenska Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. This research was also supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 71203117), the Humanities and Social Science Project by the Ministry of Education of China (12YJC630324, 14YJC630071), the Public Administration of Beijing City Running and Modern Service Innovation in Big Data Era (011000546615006), and the EC-HVEN European Framework 7 Project (No. 295130). Specifically, we thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that helped to improve this paper. Thanks to Hubert Schmitz, Tilman Altenburg, Ambuj Sagar and Xue Lan for helpful suggestions. In addition, we thank Thomson Reuters' experts for their advice on patent analysis. Also, many thanks to our research assistants Ms Pan Meijuan, Ms Wang Xiuqin andMr Jin Dan for their valuable work on the data mining.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author 2015.

Keywords

Asia and Europe
Knowledge base
Knowledge flow
Network analysis
Patent analysis
Wind turbine firms

Access to Document

10.1093/scipol/scv055

Zhou et al. - 2016 - Comparing the knowledge bases of wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe Patent trajectories, networks, and globalisaAccepted author manuscript, 1.36 MB

http://spp.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/4/476

AUB Link

Search for the material in Aalborg University Library's search engine

Cite this

@article{fa562f672b2b47c5a74b582e4cca6ef6,

title = "Comparing the knowledge bases of wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe: Patent trajectories, networks, and globalisation",

abstract = "This study uses patent analyses to compare the knowledge bases of leading wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe. It concentrates on the following three aspects: the trajectories of key technologies, external knowledge networks, and the globalisation of knowledge application. Our analyses suggest that the knowledge bases differ significantly between leading wind turbine firms in Europe and Asia. Europe{\textquoteright}s leading firms have broader and deeper knowledge bases than their Asian counterparts. In contrast, the leading Chinese firms, with their unidirectional knowledge networks, are highly domestic in orientation with respect to the application of new knowledge. However, Suzlon, the leading Indian firm, has a better knowledge position. While our quantitative analysis validates prior qualitative studies it also brings new insights. The study suggests that European firms are still leaders in this industry, and leading Asian firms are unlikely to create new pathways that will disrupt the incumbents in the near future.",

keywords = "Asia and Europe, Knowledge base, Knowledge flow, Network analysis, Patent analysis, Wind turbine firms",

author = "Yuan Zhou and Xin Li and Rasmus Lema and Frauke Urban",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the joint project 'Technological Trajectories for Climate Change Mitigation in China, Europe and India' funded by the Svenska Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. This research was also supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 71203117), the Humanities and Social Science Project by the Ministry of Education of China (12YJC630324, 14YJC630071), the Public Administration of Beijing City Running and Modern Service Innovation in Big Data Era (011000546615006), and the EC-HVEN European Framework 7 Project (No. 295130). Specifically, we thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that helped to improve this paper. Thanks to Hubert Schmitz, Tilman Altenburg, Ambuj Sagar and Xue Lan for helpful suggestions. In addition, we thank Thomson Reuters' experts for their advice on patent analysis. Also, many thanks to our research assistants Ms Pan Meijuan, Ms Wang Xiuqin andMr Jin Dan for their valuable work on the data mining. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author 2015.",

year = "2016",

doi = "10.1093/scipol/scv055",

language = "English",

volume = "43",

pages = "476--491",

journal = "Science and Public Policy",

issn = "0302-3427",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparing the knowledge bases of wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe

T2 - Patent trajectories, networks, and globalisation

AU - Zhou, Yuan

AU - Li, Xin

AU - Lema, Rasmus

AU - Urban, Frauke

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by the joint project 'Technological Trajectories for Climate Change Mitigation in China, Europe and India' funded by the Svenska Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. This research was also supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 71203117), the Humanities and Social Science Project by the Ministry of Education of China (12YJC630324, 14YJC630071), the Public Administration of Beijing City Running and Modern Service Innovation in Big Data Era (011000546615006), and the EC-HVEN European Framework 7 Project (No. 295130). Specifically, we thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that helped to improve this paper. Thanks to Hubert Schmitz, Tilman Altenburg, Ambuj Sagar and Xue Lan for helpful suggestions. In addition, we thank Thomson Reuters' experts for their advice on patent analysis. Also, many thanks to our research assistants Ms Pan Meijuan, Ms Wang Xiuqin andMr Jin Dan for their valuable work on the data mining. Publisher Copyright: © The Author 2015.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - This study uses patent analyses to compare the knowledge bases of leading wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe. It concentrates on the following three aspects: the trajectories of key technologies, external knowledge networks, and the globalisation of knowledge application. Our analyses suggest that the knowledge bases differ significantly between leading wind turbine firms in Europe and Asia. Europe’s leading firms have broader and deeper knowledge bases than their Asian counterparts. In contrast, the leading Chinese firms, with their unidirectional knowledge networks, are highly domestic in orientation with respect to the application of new knowledge. However, Suzlon, the leading Indian firm, has a better knowledge position. While our quantitative analysis validates prior qualitative studies it also brings new insights. The study suggests that European firms are still leaders in this industry, and leading Asian firms are unlikely to create new pathways that will disrupt the incumbents in the near future.

AB - This study uses patent analyses to compare the knowledge bases of leading wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe. It concentrates on the following three aspects: the trajectories of key technologies, external knowledge networks, and the globalisation of knowledge application. Our analyses suggest that the knowledge bases differ significantly between leading wind turbine firms in Europe and Asia. Europe’s leading firms have broader and deeper knowledge bases than their Asian counterparts. In contrast, the leading Chinese firms, with their unidirectional knowledge networks, are highly domestic in orientation with respect to the application of new knowledge. However, Suzlon, the leading Indian firm, has a better knowledge position. While our quantitative analysis validates prior qualitative studies it also brings new insights. The study suggests that European firms are still leaders in this industry, and leading Asian firms are unlikely to create new pathways that will disrupt the incumbents in the near future.

KW - Asia and Europe

KW - Knowledge base

KW - Knowledge flow

KW - Network analysis

KW - Patent analysis

KW - Wind turbine firms

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84997724713&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/scipol/scv055

DO - 10.1093/scipol/scv055

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0302-3427

VL - 43

SP - 476

EP - 491

JO - Science and Public Policy

JF - Science and Public Policy

IS - 4

ER -

Comparing the knowledge bases of wind turbine firms in Asia and Europe: Patent trajectories, networks, and globalisation

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

AUB Link

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this