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Since the 1970s, Japan has been regarded as an exemplar in technological development and its national approach recommended to governments in the USA and Europe. Hence, when Japan initiated a structured, strategic programme to develop alternative and renewable energy (RE) technologies in the 1970s, success would have been expected. Yet, despite focused Government support and the involvement of major firms, the installed capacity of RE technology in 2010 remains low. This paper reviews Japanese research, development and deployment activities in wind, solar photovoltaics and fuel cell technologies, identifying sectoral-specific constraints arising from a combination of poor management of regulation, lack of risk capital, ineffective advocacy coalitions, lack of an independent technical authority and limited communication of learning. These are fundamental weaknesses in Japanese institutions and failures in four of the eight technological innovation systems functions necessary for successful commercialisation. We conclude that Japan's exemplar image is not justified in the energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents a study which examines the role of new small companies in developing radical technology for sustainable energy markets. To attain the objectives of the study, researchers investigate the development of fuel cell in the market space and compare the experience of two leading fuel cell companies. The results of the study indicate that small high technology firms have the opportunity to introduce fuel cell which is considered as a product that generate electricity from renewable resources.

The paper charts the efforts to establish a successful niche position for the phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) in stationary power generation, as a precursor to wider technological system and regime change. Market entry depends on matching price/performance characteristics to a niche, and improving performance through increasing returns, the most important and immediate of which are 'learning effects'. The paper identifies five types of learning effect: (i) migrating the technology to other niches and into the mainstream; (ii) opening the way for other technologies that may have greater scope for migration; (iii) transferring learning within the pioneering company to other technologies or products; (iv) transferring experience to others in the industry; and (v) enabling users to learn. Although PAFC may be perceived as a failure in some respects, a wider perspective suggests it has made a positive and useful contribution to learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North American, European and Japanese governments have legislated to control Greenhouse Gas emissions and have promoted alternative technology as part of strategies to address climate change. Governments worldwide have sought to encourage adoption of alternative automotive technology by funding demonstrations and in-service trials. Among other initiatives the automotive industry has explored applications of a radical technological innovation - fuel cells - to power a range of vehicles from forklifts to buses. This paper examines the rationale and actions of various stakeholders to facilitate adoption of fuel cell technology in vehicles through a specific market segment - that of fuel cell buses (FCBs) - and explores the progress of FCB projects in North America, Europe and Japan. It examines the role of demonstration projects and highlights the complexity of the relationship between government and developers, and the multifarious and conflicting objectives of industry players that inhibit progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]