Environmental technological change WP 7
Overview
R&D and fast market diffusion of resource-efficient technologies can be considered as the “engine” on the way towards sustainable development. This case study will analyse the use and suitability of different methods, tools, and indicators for ISA through several examples drawn from differentfields of the environmental technology arena.
Objectives
The case study identifies the strengths andweaknesses of tools currently available to undertake prospective sustainabilityassessments for environmental technologies and the transition of economies inconnection with the adoption of technology, and so will contribute to thedevelopment of improved tools. It demonstratesthe use of the analytical and assessment tools and the integrating approach byapplying them to various technologies (at different stages of innovation andadoption).
We consider two separate aspects oftechnological change:
Hydrogen use in the transportation sectorwith a focus on the enormous thrust in innovation and Europe’s internationalcompetitiveness. This technical example represents a concise technology(hydrogen driven combustion engine or fuel cell) which is likely to beintroduced by 2010 and will have major potentials for structural change in theEuropean car manufacturing industry, their suppliers and plant manufacturers.
Transition of national economies when theopportunity to receive technology transfer is increased. Technology transfer,and the associated institutional transfer that often accompanies it, canaccelerate the process of underlying structural change in economies initialllyless developed.
The implication of production adoptingcurrent ‘best practice’ environmental standards (e.g. in terms of energyefficiency, structure of inputs to production) will be assessed using ASTRA andE3ME, two multinational structural economic models. The analysis in the twocase studies will consider the impact of the transition of Europe towards more(knowledge-based) economies and the impact that technology transfer could haveon the 10 newly acceded countries.
Activities
Theoretical underpinning Reviews on (i) the theoreticalunderstanding of the underlying impact of environmental technologies onsustainability, (ii) the underlying innovation theory and, (iii) actual theoryof R&D influence on innovation, and concepts of technology diffusion, (iv)the theoretical understanding of the impact of technology transfer on economicdevelopment.
Case study design Review existing and likely policyenvironment in the EU and leading EU Member countries to define in detail theselected environmental technology example (hydrogen cars), the possible scope of wider technology transferin economic growth, application fields and country selection (with astakeholder involvement)
Selection of tools Determine most appropriate methodology (portfolio of ISA tools) forassessing the selected policies given the scope of the study and criticallyevaluate the existing tools for the purpose and provide feedback to WP8 and WP9
Application of tools Apply and evaluate the chosenmethodology, developing a coherent and self-consistent narrative about thesustainability implications of the existing policy and exploring alternativepolicies for addressing the outcome where appropriate. Discussion of resultswith stakeholders.
Assessment and synthesis Revaluate the case study methodologiesin light of the new tools and methods that have been developed.
Products
- State-of-the Art report on relevant theories
and relevant drivers applied to the technical areas of the case studies and the
technology transfer to Accession Cuntries.
- Design of the case studies
- Selection of tools and methods
- Initial report on the design and results of
the case studies. Requirements for tool and method development (feedback to WP8
and WP9)
- Updated report on the design and results of
the case studies
Research team for WP 7
Fraunhofer Institute Systems and InnovationResearch (FhG-ISI)
Cambridge Econometrics, Cambridge
Tyndall Centre & CSERGE, University ofEast Anglia, Norwich
University of Durham
Regional Environmental Center for CEE (REC)
Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI),Stockholm
Sustainable Europe Research Institute
Contact: Martin Wietschel ISI Fraunhofer Martin.Wietschel@isi.fraunhofer.de