Title: Innovation in technology for the least product price and cost – a new minimum cost relation for reductions during technological learning

Authors: Romney B. Duffey

Addresses: Principal Scientist, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, ON, K0J 1J0, Canada

Abstract: By analogy with the concepts of human learning, we show and introduce a new method to obtain least product cost and price that includes the effect of innovation and technological learning in manufacturing and production. This key result is a new paradigm instead of the usual economic ||power law|| formulation. The new analysis is based on extensive analysis of many technological systems, and is directly related to the presence of learning as experience is accumulated. The results agree with the observed data. By using a consistent basis, the method replaces previous empirical ||power law|| descriptions of the technological learning curve with a new ||marginal minimum cost equation|| (MCE).

Keywords: energy systems; learning rates; economic and market forces; minimum costs; technology policy and case studies; theory and models; innovation; technological learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETP.2004.004590

International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy, 2004 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.106 - 129

Published online: 26 May 2004 *

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