A comprehensive overview of the renewable energy industrial ecosystem

Antoine Dechezleprêtre, Hélène Dernis, Luis Díaz, Guy Lalanne, Francesco Losma, Sara Romaniega Sancho and Lea Samek

No 2024/11, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers from OECD Publishing

Abstract: While renewable energy adoption has accelerated globally, significant challenges remain in meeting ambitious deployment targets. This paper analyses bottlenecks in the renewable energy ecosystem and explores policy solutions by examining trade, innovation, M&A, jobs, and skills data. The analysis reveals three key findings: first, the renewable energy ecosystem spans multiple sectors beyond electricity production, with machinery, computer and electronics, and scientific and technical activities playing central roles in innovation activity and job creation; second, supply chain concentration is increasing for both capital goods and critical raw materials, creating dependencies on key supplier countries; and third, while innovation offers a pathway to address these dependencies through developing leading-edge manufacturing capabilities and material substitutes, patenting activity in renewable technologies is declining. Additionally, the sector faces potential skills shortages in engineering and technical trades. The findings suggest successful renewable energy deployment requires coordinated policy approaches addressing innovation support, supply chain resilience, and workforce development.

Keywords: Industrial ecosystems; Industrial policy; Net-zero transition; Renewable energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L52 L64 O25 O38 Q42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-11-18
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene, nep-env and nep-ino
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