Title: An empirical analysis of institutional barriers to European hydrogen RD&D cooperation

Authors: Totti Konnola, Pablo Del Rio, Laura Pombo Juarez, Javier Carrillo-Hermosilla, Gregory C. Unruh

Addresses: Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Edificio Expo, C/Inca Garcilaso, s/n, E-41092 Seville, Spain. ' Instituto de Politicas y Bienes Publicos (IPP), Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, C/Albasanz 26-28, MADRID 28037, Spain. ' Helsinki University of Technology, Laboratory of Computational Engineering, P.O. Box 9203, FI-02015 TKK, Finland. ' Instituto de Empresa Business School, Castellon de la Plana 8, Madrid 28006, Spain. ' Thunderbird, The School of Global Management, 15249 N. 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85306-6000, USA

Abstract: This paper applies and elaborates environmental and evolutionary theorising in the context of international research, development and demonstration (RD&D) cooperation. The theoretical framework of analysis lays particular emphasis on identifying and overcoming institutional barriers to international cooperation for the RD&D that contributes to radical and environmentally friendly systemic changes, particularly hydrogen technology. The paper can be characterised as empirically based theory-building, as it elaborates the conceptual framework and attests its validity with interview findings and empirically based literature reviews. The empirical analysis is based on the results of HY-CO Era-Net interviews with government officers of national funding agencies responsible for the coordination of ERA-Net programmes.

Keywords: evolutionary economics; hydrogen technology; innovation policy; institutions; path dependence; technology lock-in; Europe; institutional barriers; international cooperation; R&D; research and development; demonstration; environmental theory.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSD.2008.020384

International Journal of Sustainable Development, 2008 Vol.11 No.1, pp.74 - 96

Published online: 20 Sep 2008 *

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