Exploring the impact of technological convergence on General-Purpose Technologies: A multi-level generality perspective

Pattharaporn Wipatkrut and Hsin-Ning Su

Technology in Society, 2025, vol. 82, issue C

Abstract: This study examines the role of technological convergence in the emergence and evolution of General-Purpose Technologies (GPTs). Utilizing patent data from 2010 to 2019, it investigates how cross-disciplinary integration facilitates knowledge diffusion and innovation across industries, assignees, technological domains, and national boundaries. Patent generality and technological distance are employed as proxies for convergence, capturing the extent to which heterogeneous knowledge inputs contribute to the breadth and adaptability of emerging technologies. The findings indicate that technological convergence significantly enhances both the generality and value of GPT-related patents. These results underscore the critical importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in fostering global innovation networks and enabling cross-sectoral technological advancement. The study offers policy-relevant insights for optimizing research and development strategies aimed at accelerating broad-based economic and industrial transformation.

Keywords: Technological convergence; Technological distance; Patent generality; Patent indicator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X2500123X
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:teinso:v:82:y:2025:i:c:s0160791x2500123x

DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102933

Access Statistics for this article

Technology in Society is currently edited by Charla Griffy-Brown

More articles in Technology in Society from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().