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Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies have elevated the capabilities and possibilities of improvement and efficiency in the energy sector. This paper interrogates how energy companies in South Africa, Germany and China apply 4IR technologies. A total of 26 energy companies in those countries were surveyed. An analysis was carried out using the Cronbach Alpha, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Survey results indicate that 85% of companies acknowledge good levels of participation in the 4IR, and were clear about which 4IR technologies are important, although few companies develop these themselves. Technologies enabling access to big, real-time data (BRTD) and BRTD analysis software, are valued the most in measured importance, efficiency, reliability and ability to be integrated across the energy system. The transfer of data using the Internet of things ranked highly as a 4IR technology, whereas artificial intelligence, robotics and machine-human integration (also referred to as machine-human interaction) are considered less important, efficient, and reliable. China rates 4IR technologies as more important than South Africa and Germany do. For South Africa to be competitive in the global energy sector it needs to engage with and embrace 4IR technologies to a greater extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding new industry partners poses a challenge to many public research organizations. This article explores how statistical classification can support partner selection at the example of the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, Europe's largest public organization for applied research. We use internal cooperation data and feature sets based on unstructured data, i.e., text and industry codes, both of which describe business activities of firms. An important advantage of this data is that it is available for most companies in Germany, even small and medium enterprises, which allows for an almost complete screening of the market, in contrast to using other data sources, e.g., patents. In addition, we also include economic variables linked to firms, as turnover, number of employees/managers and firm age. We report the performance of various classification techniques such as logistic regression, support vector machines, and random forests in our dataset for diverse combinations of feature sets. Results show that simple methods with fewer parameters remain competitive in comparison to complex ones. Overall, the performance of most classifiers is high enough to support the decision process of finding new industry partners for public research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have debated the relative importance of technology push and demand pull policies in the adoption of environmental technologies. Here, we examine how internationally distributed technology push and demand pull policies interact to support the diffusion of a renewable energy technology. We analyze 40 years (1974–2013) of solar photovoltaic policies in three countries: USA, Germany, and China. We identify four phases of international policy interactions: in Phase 1 (1974–1990), the USA launched technology push policies; in Phase 2 (1991–2003), Germany pioneered demand pull policies; in Phase 3 (2004–2008), China responded to international market incentive programs with a scaling up of manufacturing; and in Phase 4 (2008–2013), Germany reduced whereas China increased demand policies. Our contributions are threefold: First, we demonstrate the importance of “manufacturing push” alongside the standard technology push and demand pull factors; second, we show how global adoption was spurred by the complementarity of policy efforts across national boundaries, while considering the tradeoffs in climate change policy between increasing global environmental welfare and improving national economic development; third, we demonstrate three generic patterns of cross-national policy complementarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this qualitative study was to analyze the elements that influence the process of innovation management in a public university in southern Brazil. It was conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 questions to three groups: six university managers; six researchers with only scientific production (articles) and seven researchers with also technological production (patents). After transcribing the interviews, the content analysis was performed in MAXQDA 12 software (Verbi GmbH, Berlin, Germany). The lack of understanding of the legal part (17.6%) and bureaucratization in the transfer process (14.7%) were the most frequently reported difficulties in the process of technology transfer. After identifying the main elements of innovation management in a public university, we proposed a new model in which the research projects are developed in conjunction with the productive sector since the beggining of technological development. Public policies and management measures to facilitate the interaction between academia and the productive sector can facilitate technology transfer and, consequently, management of innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Startups play a crucial role in introducing radical innovations and need to maintain a high level of product innovativeness (PI) to consolidate their business models and remain competitive. However, startups often face challenges and limitations that hinder their PI efforts and require external support from innovation intermediaries. Despite the prevalence of research on intermediaries, there is a limited understanding of the effect of their activities and capabilities - commonly referred to as orchestration functions - on startups' innovativeness. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the causal relationships between configurations of orchestration functions of intermediation and product innovativeness in startups. Drawing on the latest literature, we identify five orchestration functions that comprise the intermediary's impact structure, including Network Composition and Process Management (NCP), Fostering Networking and Partnerships for Resource Mobilization (FNP), Intermediation for Technology Transfer, Collaborative Research, and Commercialization (ITC), Identification and Mediation of Different Interests (IMD), and Evaluation and Validation of Outcomes (EVO). Using a mixed-methods approach incorporating the fsQCA method, we conducted a longitudinal investigation of 14 startups and their relationship with an innovation intermediary in Germany. Our results reveal that three specific configurations of all five intermediary functions can explain product innovativeness in startups. This study provides a valuable contribution to academia by proposing a set of configurations of orchestration functions that can explain startups' performance and provides practical implications for practitioners looking to enhance product innovativeness in startups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Global North is historically responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, Newly Industrializing Countries (NICs) are expected to overtake developed country emissions in the coming years. At the same time, NICs are climbing the ladder of the global economy, increasing their competitiveness on the global stage and catching up with technological competencies of developed economies. Against this background, this paper explores innovation and collaboration in Climate Change Mitigation Technologies (CCMTs) in NICs. The research question is whether the propensity to innovate and diffuse CCMTs is impacted by technological collaboration with two highly developed countries, Germany and The United States. The sample of NICs includes the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) plus Israel, Mexico, and Turkey, in a panel from 1995 to 2015. The empirical results suggest that collaboration with both Germany and the U.S. is highly significant for domestic CCMT innovation in NICs. These findings are important because, stepping beyond the literature on the merits and drawbacks of global climate governance tools such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and related UNFCCC processes, they show that collaboration for climate and environmental technologies could become a key tool to significantly improve the chances to stay in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. Finally, the policy advice for NICs and developing countries is to, above all else, focus on incubating strong technological innovation systems, including strengthening domestic Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), as well as to enhance technological collaboration with developed countries. • We present a time-series panel from 1995 to 2015. • This research explores Climate Mitigation Technologies (CCMTs) in Newly Industrializing Countries. • Technological collaboration with Germany and the U.S. drives NICs CCMT innovation. • Novel empirical models capture the role of absorptive capacities and domestic innovation systems. • A machine-learning governance index is used as a reliable proxy for governance quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To many, a lot of secrets are at the bottom of the often-cited catchphrase “Smart Grid”. This article gives an overview of the options that information and communication technology (ICT) offers for the restructuring and modernisation of the German power system, in particular with a view towards its development into a Smart Grid and thus tries to reveal these secrets. After a short outline on the development of ICT in terms of technology types and their availability, the further analysis highlights upcoming challenges in all parts of the power value chain and possible solutions for these challenges through the intensified usage of ICT applications. They are examined with regard to their effectiveness and efficiency in the fields of generation, transmission, distribution and supply. Finally, potential obstacles that may defer the introduction of ICT into the power system are shown. The analysis suggests that if certain hurdles are taken, the huge potential of ICT can create additional value in various fields of the whole power value chain. This ranges from increased energy efficiency and the more sophisticated integration of decentralised (renewable) energy plants to a higher security of supply and more efficient organisation of market processes. The results are true for the German power market but can in many areas also be transferred to other industrialised nations with liberalised power markets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We describe the transfer of patents in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Germany using a new database containing information on 20,000 transactions. The number of transactions shows an upward trend, in total numbers and as a share of patents in force. About 8 percent of patents were transferred at least once during their existence. Many transactions involved the transfer of patents with an above-average quality from individual inventors to firms and to newly created firms. In addition, valuable patents were transferred between firms. About two-thirds of all transfers occurred during the first three years of a patents' existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a set of issues regarding the constitutive role of science and technology in the articulation of Soviet national identity during the cold war period. Particular attention is paid to German scientists who had been captured by the Soviets in the aftermath of World War II and assigned to work on domestic military projects who were then sent back to the German Democratic Republic in the early 1950s. It is suggested that an intersection of cold war imperatives, technological transfer, and national identity manipulated the perception of the German scientist's expertise and value in order to justify their return migration.

Investigates the role of technology centers and science parks or research parks in the technology transfer process between the research and education sector to small businesses in Germany. Survey by the Institute for Applied Innovation Research; Information transfer; Innovation problems and processes; Technology transfer.

• Scenario-based simulations with EnergyPLAN based on Choice Awareness Theory. • Evaluation of recent coal power phase-out plans on annual and hourly bases. • Decarbonising effects of the coal phase-out and electrolytic hydrogen production. • Analysing the coherence of phase-out policies and low carbon technology diffusion. We analyse whether Germany will fall short of the country's decarbonisation targets. Bearing this potential failure in mind, the present study investigates technological options and their effectiveness for decarbonising the energy system from a systemic perspective. We consider the country's coal phase-out, the increasing amounts of electricity from renewable energy sources, more efficient heating concepts as well as the evolving of smart charging infrastructures and large-scale storage options. Based on the declared plans of the federal authorities and alternative proposals of environmental associations, ten distinct decarbonisation scenarios for the period from 2020 to 2030 form the basis of our models. Using the Energy PLAN simulation tool, annual and hourly performance indicators were computed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of decarbonisation measures. In particular, we examine the increasing usage of electrolysers for both the absorption of excess electricity and the production of hydrogen as a substitute for fossil fuels in relation to the timing of the coal phase-out. Pursuing this approach, we demonstrate the coherence between coal phase-out policies and low carbon technology diffusion. Our findings reveal that implementing the coal phase-out earlier than has been scheduled by the country's Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment mitigates the non-achievement of the decarbonisation targets. Moreover, our results suggest the upscaling of domestic electrolyser capacity to up to 9554 MW by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Assessment of responsiveness' role in mechanisms for adjusting economic incentives. • Agent-based model of feed-in tariff for solar adoption in Germany, Spain, Switzerland. • More responsive designs meet deployment policy goal accurately and lower uncertainty. • Surprisingly, results show diminishing returns of responsiveness that add policy cost. • Country-specific attributes shown to influence solar power diffusion patterns. A rapid, global diffusion of clean energy technologies is central to the efforts to curb global carbon dioxide emissions. Deployment policies based on economic incentives have proved effective in accelerating the uptake of renewable technologies, such as solar photovoltaics, and could quicken the adoption of others. However, their outcomes were often uncertain and costly as many countries struggled to adjust incentives while technology prices fell rapidly. This study addresses this challenge by investigating the role of responsiveness – the policy's ability to react to changes in the context in which it operates – in the design of mechanisms for adjusting incentives over time. This paper employs an agent-based model to evaluate quantitatively six policy designs with varying degrees of responsiveness for adjusting a feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaics in three countries – Germany, Spain, and Switzerland – for over a decade. Our first finding confirms that more responsive policy designs tended to produce policies that meet their goals more accurately and certainly. Between the least and the most responsive designs, deviation from policy goals was reduced by 60% and uncertainty was reduced by more than 50%. Our results also suggest that policy responsiveness could have diminishing returns: improvements in the policy's accuracy and certainty tended to become smaller while policy costs per capita tended to become larger as design responsiveness increased. Finally, simulation results show how country-specific attributes influence the diffusion pattern of the technology. These findings have major implications for the design of future deployment policies supporting the diffusion of clean energy technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes a competition launched by federal research manager Jurgen Ruttgers in 17 regions of Germany to see which of the regions has the best potential for technology transfer. Rules requiring a demonstration of bringing biotechnological advances to market with minimum bureaucracy; The prize being the right for three winners to share project money made available for such efforts.