Green Technological Diversification: The Role of International Linkages in Leaders, Followers and Catching-Up Countries

Nicoletta Corrocher, Simone Grabner and Andrea Morrison

No 2404, Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) from Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography

Abstract: To promote a more environmentally sustainable economy, countries need to broaden their innovation activities to include green technologies. In this process, the increasing global interconnectedness and internationalisation of innovative activities underlines the growing importance of external knowledge linkages. This paper examines how different categories of countries - technological leaders, catching-up countries and follower countries - diversify into green technologies by exploiting different types of external linkages through co-inventions with international partners. The dataset covers 49 countries over a period of 40 years. The results show that it is complementary linkages, rather than external linkages alone, that facilitate related diversification in the green sector. Moreover, while complementary linkages have a significant impact on the ability of catching-up countries and followers to diversify into less complex and widely diffused green technologies, the diversification pattern of leaders is more oriented towards complex technologies in their early stages. Therefore, green technology development policies should actively promote international cooperation as it has the potential to catalyse green catching-up and foster sustainable growth.

Keywords: technological diversification; green technologies; co-inventor linkages; relatedness; catching-up (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O33 Q55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-02, Revised 2024-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-ene, nep-env, nep-ino, nep-knm, nep-sbm and nep-tid
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Journal Article: Green technological diversification: The role of international linkages in leaders, followers and catching-up countries (2024)
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