Knowledge Sources and Impacts on Subsequent Inventions: Do Green Technologies Differ from Non-Green Ones?

47 Pages Posted: 3 May 2018

See all articles by Nicolò Barbieri

Nicolò Barbieri

University of Ferrara

Alberto Marzucchi

University of Trento - School on Local Development

Ugo Rizzo

University of Ferrara

Date Written: April 17, 2018

Abstract

The paper contributes to our understanding of the nature and impact of green technological change. We focus on the search and impact spaces of green inventions, scrutinising the knowledge recombination processes leading to the generation of the invention and the impact of the invention on subsequent technological developments. Using a large sample of patents filed during 1980-2012, we analyse a set of established patent indicators that capture different aspects of the invention process. Technological heterogeneity is controlled for by comparing green and non-green technologies within similar narrow technological domains. Green technologies are found to be more complex and radical than non-green ones and to have a larger and more pervasive impact on subsequent inventions. However, the results show a variety of distinctive patterns with respect to the knowledge dimension considered. We derive some important policy implications.

Keywords: environmental inventions, patent data, knowledge recombination, knowledge impact

JEL Classification: O33, O34, Q55

Suggested Citation

Barbieri, Nicolò and Marzucchi, Alberto and Rizzo, Ugo, Knowledge Sources and Impacts on Subsequent Inventions: Do Green Technologies Differ from Non-Green Ones? (April 17, 2018). SWPS 2018-11, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3164197 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3164197

Nicolò Barbieri (Contact Author)

University of Ferrara

Via del Gregorio 13
Ferrara, 44100
Italy

Alberto Marzucchi

University of Trento - School on Local Development ( email )

Via Belenzani, 39
Trento, Trento 38122
Italy

Ugo Rizzo

University of Ferrara ( email )

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