Co-Evolution of Technology, Markets and Institutions - the Case of Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technology in Europe

Sammanfattning: The birth, growth and maturity of industries, sectors and technologies have spurred the curiosity of researchers as well as managers and policy makers for a long time. Intriguingly, the emergence of a new industry is a complex process including many different actors and with a high level of uncertainty related to technology, institutions and markets facing the actors involved. Empirically this book analyses a case study of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies in Europe, a set of inter-related technologies that has a large economic and environmental potential. These technologies can provide energy to a diverse set of products, ranging from powering cars and buses, or consumer products like a laptop or cell phone, to heat and electricity for buildings. Energy conversion within these technologies is furthermore emission free which hold the promise to change the mode of transportation and for electricity production to become more sustainable. While there is a tendency to approach technological change with a long time perspective, focusing on the shift between different phases, this book will fill a gap in the literature on technological change by focussing on the formative, or early phase. The thesis approaches the formative phase by analysing how the different actors in Europe strive to create stability in technology, market and institutions, so that the emerging technologies can evolve to a growth phase and new markets be formed.