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Sustainable energy transition is garnering attention as a method to achieve emission reduction targets. In this transition, technology learning and spillovers, which are representative sources of technological change, have significant implications. Most previous studies focused on inter-country and inter-region spillovers, although spillovers can be observed at the various levels. This study develops the industrial energy system model, which explores learning and inter-industry spillovers at the technology level, and investigates learning and spillover effects on climate policy performance. The model reflects spillovers between industrial common technologies based on an iterative approach and describes the effects of learning and spillovers on technology characteristics, such as technology efficiency. The results describe that not only the speed of learning but also the existence of spillovers is important for sustainable industrial energy systems. Spillovers also help to mitigate industrial emissions with less subsidies for efficient technologies and affects the preference of industries for a carbon tax. The government should create an appropriate environment for efficiency improvements and their diffusion in industries. Moreover, a wider range of policy options is available if industries are more cooperative in diffusing their technology innovation.

Summary: With increasing global warming, the new energy industry has become the mainstay for achieving a sustainable development of human society. The effective diffusion of leading technologies is the source of social benefits obtained from enterprise core technologies, and it is also a necessary factor for the transformation and optimization of industry. In the international context of energy conservation and emission reduction, systematically and comprehensively studying the diffusion mechanism of leading technologies in new energy industry has important theoretical and practical significance for promoting the diffusion of leading technologies in the new energy industry. Based on the introduction of the cellular automaton model and its extension model, this paper constructs the diffusion model of new energy industry's leading technology and analyzes the diffusion mechanism. This mechanism shows that in the case of the market and policy environments in nowadays, the diffusion of new energy industry's leading technology is mainly influenced by promotion intensity, market share of positive and negative idea leaders, as well as the enterprise scale of strong chain and weak chain. This influence is verified by simulation analysis. Based on the diffusion mechanism, suggestions are presented for promoting the diffusion mechanism of new energy industry leading technology. These suggestions aim to provide a reference for the government, industry associations, and enterprises in making relevant decisions. The novelty of the work is: At the industrial level, this paper explores both the development law and diffusion mechanism of the leading technology in the new energy industry, which is conducive to improving and enriching the theoretical system of technological innovation.This paper uses simulation analysis to verify the diffusion mechanism of leading technologies in the new energy industry. This approach effectively improves the diffusion level of leading technology in the new energy industry and provides a reference for energy upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International patenting activities have long been used as an indicator of technology diffusion, but it is unclear whether international patent inflows promote or block technology innovations in recipient countries. Previous studies conclude that the commercial exploitation of patented inventions in foreign countries is expected to be associated with technology diffusion. However, international patents may also block imitations in foreign countries. To address the conflicting arguments, this study investigates the impact of international patent inflows on innovations in recipient countries using the solar PV industry as the empirical focus. This study finds that international patent inflows have a positive impact on innovations in recipient countries, but the positive impact is stronger for leading countries than latecomers. The findings indicate that international patenting activities may exaggerate the technology gap between leading and lagging countries, which suggests the importance of promoting institutionalized technology cooperation between leading and lagging countries. • Knowledge stock of solar PV technology is unequal across countries. • International patent inflows positively influence innovation capacity in recipient countries. • Leading countries benefit more from international patent inflows than lagging countries. • International patent activities might exaggerate the technology gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Government incentive policies play an important role in the promotion of distributed photovoltaic power. However, which policy is more effective for the diffusion of distributed photovoltaic power? This is a question that needs to be answered. Based on this, we combined the two-factor learning curve and system dynamics model to study the dynamic diffusion process of China's distributed photovoltaic power (DSP). The results show that (1) the coefficients of learning by doing and learning by researching for DSP are 0.0435 and 0.2971 respectively. This indicates that technological innovation caused by R&D expenditures in the DSP is the driving force for cost reduction. (2) Both demand-pull and technology-push policies contribute to the diffusion of DSP; (3) the effect of FIT policy on the diffusion of distributed photovoltaic technology is more significant than that of R&D policy; and the reduction of production cost of photovoltaic power industry by R&D policy is more significant than FIT policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effects of unanticipated technological shocks across the most innovative economies in the world. We examine who leads and follows in the global technological race and how technological shocks in one country shape innovation activity in another. We put forward a useful approach in modeling the dynamic interdependencies of knowledge spillovers across countries, which exploits the modeling capabilities of the so-called network Global Vector Auto-Regressive (GVAR) framework. Our empirical evidence, on a selected panel of most innovative world economies over the period 1986–2013, show that the USA and China are the dominant countries in the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "Deep Tech" is prevalent in industry but ill-defined. In this extended letter, we define Deep Tech (technology that is difficult to develop today, with the potential to become a pervasive and easy-to-implement basic need in the future) and consider its role in evolving businesses. We suggest how organizations can position themselves to take advantage of a coming wave of innovation, with emphasis placed on Creative Destruction's role (cannibalizing product lines) in creating sustaining enterprises. Understanding the diffusion of technical innovation from hard-to-implement exciter to commodity basic need will encourage leaders to rethink their current offerings to play in a future-thinking space setting these companies apart from the competition. We provide examples drawn from successful organizations.

BackgroundPromoting technology diffusion and utilization is a key measure to address the great disparity in technical capacity within integrated health systems. However, even the effectiveness and appropriateness regarding technology has been widely recognized, its diffusion and utilization are still stagnant. The mechanisms that influence the technology from being recognized to being widely applied in practice remain largely unknown.PurposeTaking hepatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as an example, this study aimed to investigate the comprehensive influencing mechanism of organizational atmosphere and organizational practice on the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward diffusion and utilization of hepatic CEUS in the medical alliance.MethodsBased on the integration of organizational ready for change (ORC) and knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP), a structured questionnaire was developed. A multistage random sampling method was applied to investigate physicians who directly use CEUS working at the liver disease-related departments of sampled health institutions. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to verify the proposed hypotheses, and determine the relationship between the factors.ResultsIn total, 292 physicians were included. SEM results demonstrated that knowledge influenced both attitude and practice, while attitude positively predicted practice. Organizational practice and organizational atmosphere associated positively with each other. Organizational atmosphere positively affected the physicians' attitude toward CEUS diffusion and utilization (β = 0.425, p < 0.001), while organizational practice positively affected corresponding knowledge (β = 0.423, p < 0.001) and practice (β = 0.275, p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a partial mediating effect between organizational practice and physicians' CEUS diffusion and utilization behavior.ConclusionBy verifying the influencing mechanism of organizational atmosphere and organizational practice on the physicians' KAP of hepatic CEUS diffusion and utilization, this study benefit tailoring strategies for promoting technology diffusion and utilization within medical alliance. It is recommended to develop an organizational atmosphere of advocating technology innovation, establish organizational support mechanism (SM) with multiple concrete supporting countermeasures, and so on.

In most of Sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural extension models have become more decentralized and participatory and thus rely on effective farmer-to-farmer learning, while increasingly including nontraditional forms of education. At the same time, agricultural technologies become more complex and are now often promoted as integrated packages, which are likely to increase the complexity of the diffusion process. Based on a randomized controlled trial, this study assesses the effects of "farmer-to-farmer" extension and a video intervention on adoption of a complex technology package among 2,382 smallholders in Ethiopia. Both extension-only and extension combined with video increase adoption and knowledge of the package, especially of its more complex components; on average, however, the video intervention has no additional effect on adoption. Knowledge and the number of adopted practices also increase among farmers not actively participating in extension activities, which suggests information diffusion. For this group, the additional video intervention has a reinforcing effect, and particularly fosters adoption of the integrated package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change mitigation requires rapid expansion of low-carbon electricity but there is a disagreement on whether available technologies such as renewables and nuclear power can be scaled up sufficiently fast. Here we analyze the diffusion of nuclear (from the 1960s), as well as wind and solar (from the 1980–90s) power. We show that all these technologies have been adopted in most large economies except major energy exporters, but solar and wind have diffused across countries faster and wider than nuclear. After the initial adoption, the maximum annual growth for nuclear power has been 2.6% of national electricity supply (IQR 1.3%–6%), for wind − 1.1% (0.6%–1.7%), and for solar − 0.8% (0.5%–1.3%). The fastest growth of nuclear power occurred in Western Europe in the 1980s, a response by industrialized democracies to the energy supply crises of the 1970s. The European Union (EU), currently experiencing a similar energy supply shock, is planning to expand wind and solar at similarly fast rates. This illustrates that national contexts can impact the speed of technology diffusion at least as much as technology characteristics like cost, granularity, and complexity. In the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change mitigation pathways, renewables grow much faster than nuclear due to their lower projected costs, though empirical evidence does not show that the cost is the sole factor determining the speed of diffusion. We demonstrate that expanding low-carbon electricity in Asia in line with the 1.5 °C target requires growth of nuclear power even if renewables increase as fast as in the most ambitious EU’s plans. 2 °C-consistent pathways in Asia are compatible with replicating China’s nuclear power plans in the whole region, while simultaneously expanding renewables as fast as in the near-term projections for the EU. Our analysis demonstrates the usefulness of empirically-benchmarked feasibility spaces for future technology projections.

The market for voice assistants (VAs) and other allied voice-based smart-home products is gradually emerging. The initial growth has been slower than expected; therefore, an in-depth simultaneous intention and diffusion analysis is needed for identifying the relevant factors along with finding out the target consumers. This work uses technology acceptance model as the core for analyzing the adoption intention of the VA-based system and extends it with three additional factors: compatibility, perceived complementarity and privacy concerns. The diffusion analysis for the same is done using the multivariate probit model. Certain characteristics of the VA-based systems like the network effects between the products/services and the importance of protecting personal information are considered in this work, apart from various demographic variables like age, gender, income and education levels. Two separate surveys were conducted for the purpose of data collection from 315 and 1945 participants residing in Thailand for analyzing the adoption and diffusion scenario, respectively. The results show that usefulness, ease of use, compatibility and perceived complementarity have significant positive effects on the purchase intention. In terms of diffusion of the VA market, unlike other Information Communication Technology-based products/services, the results show that the senior consumers are more likely to purchase the VAs and other allied smart-home devices within a given time frame when compared to the younger consumers. Therefore, new strategies should be developed that promote the usage of VAs by the young population for increasing the market demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenya is currently seeking to promote rural electrification through a decentralized approach for deploying renewable energy. This article asks whether an innovation system is in place to support the diffusion of small wind which could complement rural electrification using solar photovoltaics. In order to do this, the technological innovation systems framework is drawn upon using a qualitative approach to assess the performance of the small wind turbine sector in Kenya, along the seven innovation system functions. The study is the first to apply this framework to the diffusion of small wind turbine technology. The findings indicate the existence of a nascent and very weak technological innovation system, despite the relatively long history of small wind turbines in Kenya. Weaknesses established in the functions of mobilization of financial resources, guidance of the search for appropriate models and solutions and creation of legitimacy of the technology are all inhibiting the progress of diffusing small wind turbine technology in Kenya. The functions of knowledge development, entrepreneurial activities, networks and market formation were established to be supporting diffusion, although not very strongly. The analysis and conclusions point to the need for enhanced policy attention to target setting, skills enhancement and overall innovation system building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes recall data from smallholder farmers in selected provinces in Zambia to examine the role of social and institutional networks, as well as other farm and household factors in the adoption and diffusion of conservation agriculture (CA) technology. We employed a dynamic discrete-time hazard model to capture the time path to adoption. The empirical results show that conditional on several potentially confounding factors, conservation agriculture technology adoption and diffusion are positively and significantly influenced by farmers' access to information from social networks and institutional networks like extension services. Adoption decisions are also found to be significantly influenced by age, education, market distance, as well as location fixed effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the spatial distribution of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) considering both region- and technology-specific factors. Focusing on patent data for four technologies at the core of I4.0 between 2000 and 2014, we provide evidence of their uneven distribution across NUTS-2 European regions. Our analysis confirms the role of regional absorptive capacity, cognitive and spatial proximity as drivers of I4.0 knowledge flows, but also indicates important variations among these technologies. Cumulated technological capabilities and spatial proximity exert a stronger effect on the diffusion of robots and 3D printing, whereas big data and the Internet of Things tend to be more spatially distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Biofuels Policy in Limbo.2. Contribution of University of California Cooperative Extension to Drip Irrigation.3.Farm Labor and Immigration: Outlook for 2015.

Recent technological advancements entail immense changes and lead to a new era. One of the main change agents of this new era is internet of things technologies. The term “internet of things” (IoT) indicates objects having an identity and having ubiquitous connection with each other. Notwithstanding the novelty of the concept, it captured the interest of many scholars and practitioners. The subject area has not been analyzed profoundly from the consumers’ point of view. Whenever potential users face a new technology, they experience an acceptation process. In this study, how this new concept is perceived by the consumers is scrutinized. Consumer perspective of IoT is studied through Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). TAM introduced perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, as significant determinants for a potential user to have behavioral intention to use a new technology. Data were analyzed through Structural Equational Modeling (SEM).

Diffusion models are rigorously implemented in marketing research to predict the actual trend of innovations over time. These models can be classified in terms of deterministic and stochastic behavior. Deterministic models ignore the randomness in the adoption rate of an innovation that occurs due to environmental and internal system disturbances. Therefore, in the present research, a generalized stochastic diffusion model using Itô’s process is proposed that jointly study the product awareness and eventual adoption of an innovation. Convolution function is applied to integrate these two processes. In addition, different probability distributions are employed, which are relevant for describing the product awareness and adoption processes. Non-linear regression is further carried out to validate the proposed models and parameters are estimated based on the actual sales data from Smartphone and automobile industries. The forecasting results indicate that the proposed models perform empirically better than the already established diffusion models.

Technological innovation is critical to secure long-term productivity benefits in any section of society. Investment in ICT is often seen as an imperative for improving banking efficiency. However, the unexpected failure of ICT in enhancing efficiency has unearthed the dilemma observed by Solow, who remarked, "You can see the computer age everywhere, except in productivity statistics". We analyze the impact of IT investments on the technical and cost efficiency of 72 Indian commercial banks across 2008–2019 using stochastic frontier analysis with exogeneous inefficiency effects and a slacks-based measure of data envelopment analysis. We conclude that the sector has been able to leverage IT investments towards improving efficiency, thereby invalidating the claims of a productivity paradox and providing evidence that supports the birth of a new economy where IT can be viewed as a dynamic force that brings about changes in organizational design, allowing banks to achieve better efficiency levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fabrication sectors benefit from global value chain (GCV) participation the most. • This effect for fabrication sectors is linked to R&D-oriented GVC partners. • GVC participation with R&D-focused partners benefit less developed countries. • This suggest knowledge spillovers across industries induced by GVC participation. Global value chain (GVC) participation has transformed many lines of business. The benefits it provides in terms of greater specialization and technology diffusion, however, do not spread identically across countries and industries. This paper shows that taking into account the functional specialization helps to explain how the benefits of GVC participation are distributed. Using data for 35 industries in 40 countries in 2000-2011, we estimate the impact of GVC participation on value added within a production function framework. The results indicate that there is heterogeneity in the effects of GVC participation, according to the functional specialization of the respective industry and its GVC partners. Participating in R&D-related GVCs is especially profitable for fabrication-oriented industries and low-developed countries. It follows that any GVC participation analysis will be incomplete if it fails to take the functional specialization of the GVC participants into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International trade is one of the main channels of technological diffusion as it allows countries to have access to technology developed by others in the process of buying and selling intermediate inputs and capital goods. In the 1990s, China initiated a process of major incentives for the development of new technologies and this was intensified in the 2000s. The country is now a potential technology donor, which contributes to the global diffusion of technology. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the effects of technological spillovers from China through international trade. The analysis considered 22 OECD member countries, including China, and 17 manufacturing industries for the 2008–2014 period. The results indicate that China is contributing to the process of technological diffusion with both negative and positive spillovers. Besides identifying the spillovers from China broken down according to industries, our results also indicate that domestic and foreign spillovers are important channels of technological diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a methodological approach to investigate cross-country creativity/knowledge flows by analyzing patent citation networks, taking the aircraft, aviation and cosmonautics (AAC) industry as a case study. It aims at shedding some light on the following research questions: (a) how cross-country creative/learning flows can be investigated; (b) have countries of current patent owners benefited from patent acquisitions. In fact, despite the well-established economic interest for (analyzing and forecasting) innovation trajectories, this research area is still unexplored, thus, motivating the need for such study. Over 43,000,000 patents have been analyzed whereby: (a) owners have performed cross-country patent acquisitions; (b) acquired patents (granted within 2005–2009) are cited by subsequent patents (2010–2015). Methodology and results are scalable to other industries and can be exploited by managers and policy makers to: (a) help firms forecasting innovation trajectories; (b) support governments in designing/implementing measures nurturing patented innovations in industries deemed relevant to national interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study how endogenous innovation and technology diffusion interact to determine the shape of the productivity distribution and generate aggregate growth. We model firms that choose to innovate, adopt technology, or produce with their existing technology. Costly adoption creates a spread between the best and worst technologies concurrently used to produce similar goods. The balance of adoption and innovation determines the shape of the distribution; innovation stretches the distribution, while adoption compresses it. On the balanced growth path, the aggregate growth rate equals the maximum growth rate of innovators. While innovation drives long‐run growth, changes in the adoption environment can influence growth by affecting innovation incentives, either directly, through licensing of excludable technologies, or indirectly, via the option value of adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impacts of the Target-Setting Emissions Trading (TSET) Program launched by Saitama Prefecture in Japan in 2011 on the adoption of low-carbon technology. Using facility-level data on the manufacturing sector, the causal relationship between implementation of the program and investment in high-efficiency equipment is estimated. The results show that the TSET Program promoted the adoption of high-efficiency machines and devices for the first three years of the second compliance period, whereas the program did not spur investments in high-efficiency equipment during the first compliance period. These results suggest that the manufacturing facilities may have adopted relatively cheaper emissions reduction plans in the first compliance period such as improvements to equipment they already owned, whereas in the second compliance period, when the emissions targets became stricter, they allocated money and resources to introduce high-efficiency equipment. These findings indicate that the TSET Program succeeded in encouraging emissions reduction efforts by facilities in the manufacturing sector covered by the scheme, even though the program lacks penalties for noncompliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and governing technology transitions is essential to cope with major challenges of the 21st century such as climate change or digitization. In this paper, a learning-based approach is developed to explain the dynamics of different transition pathways. Technological know-how is necessary to make effective use of technical innovations embodied in capital. Firms and employees accumulate technology specific knowledge when working with specific machinery. Radical innovation differs by technology type and pre-existing knowledge may be imperfectly transferable across types. This paper addresses the implications of cross-technology transferability of skills for firm-level technology adoption and its consequences for the direction of macro-level technological change. A microeconomically founded model of technological learning is introduced. The model is based on empirical and theoretical insights from the innovation literature. In a simulation study using the macro-economic ABM Eurace@unibi-eco and applied to the context of green 2 technology diffusion, it is shown that a high transferability of knowledge has ambiguous effects. It accelerates the diffusion process initially but comes at the cost of long-term technological stability and specialization. For firms, it is easy to adopt new technology, but also easy to switch back to the incumbent type. Technological instability can be macroeconomically costly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing difficulties associated with heating, the new energy industry has become the mainstay for property development. The effective diffusion of leading technologies supplies a social edge for enterprise core technologies, and this is also a necessary topic for industrial transformation and optimization. Within the international context of energy conservation and emission reduction, the scientific and in-depth study of the diffusion mechanisms underlying leading technologies in the new energy industry have vital theoretical significance for the promotion of the diffusion of leading technologies. Based on the introduction of the Bass model and one extension model, this paper constructs the diffusion model of the new energy industry’s leading technology and analyzes its diffusion mechanism. The identified mechanism indicates that in the case of imperfect market and policy environments, the diffusion of the leading technology of the new energy industry is mainly influenced by the “expected utility” of innovators and the “actual utility” of imitators. The diffusion of the leading technology in innovator enterprises of the new energy industry is mainly affected by the “expected utility,” while the diffusion in imitator enterprises is affected by the “actual utility.” These influences are verified by simulation analysis. Based on the diffusion mechanism, several suggestions are presented for the promotion of the diffusion mechanism of leading technology, with the aim to provide references for the government, industry associations, and enterprises for relevant decision-making.

Abstract: This is a unique case study of a phenomenological, exploratory and qualitative approach, with a horizontal temporal cut. The goal of the present study was to bring up the current stage of a small aeronautical industry in Santa Catarina in regards to offset and technology transfer tools. In order to achieve this goal, data collection involved interviews, assembly line observation and web page analysis. The results indicate a positive outlook regarding the offset, despite its non-use. The perception about technology transfer is negative, being verified that the organization needs external technologies.

The effectiveness of deployment policies to promote the uptake of residential rooftop solar photovoltaic systems ultimately hinges on the behaviour of households who decide to accept or reject the technology. Over the past years, research has strived to understand, designate significant predictors, model the behaviour of heterogeneous households, and predict the diffusion rate by putting a wide range of approaches in place. Inspired by compiling a comprehensive database of home solar adoption studies, the present study systematically reviews the adopted theories, methods and approaches used within 199 original quantitative, qualitative, statistical, and non-statistical articles covering households' attitudes, awareness, tendencies, knowledge, motives, willingness, intentions, and adoption decisions. The study provides a critical analysis of investigations on the adoption of solar photovoltaics, solar home systems, and solar photovoltaics coupled with battery energy storage systems. The outcome of the review revealed 108 future and 91 retroactive studies that exploit 10 key dependent variables by means of 52% primary (empirical data), 34% secondary (available sources), and 13% covering both modes of data collection. The sensitivity of these dependent variables was tested by 36 intervention variables that seek to capacitate effective managerial policies. The complexity of the individual decision was comprehended by 13 forms of behavioural theories, with the top-ranked two being the diffusion of innovation and the theory of planned behaviour. The literature showcased a total of 170 quantitative, 20 qualitative, and nine mixed-method studies, with statistical and non-statistical techniques being applied 139 and 86 times, respectively. Regression analysis was the most commonly used statistical analysis method, followed by spatial analysis for non-statistical models. At the heart of the predictive methods for analysing the diffusion rate of these solar technologies, nuances of 25 agent-based models and their social networks were examined in depth. The review further revealed 14 spectra of household categories as well as 12 typologies of household comparisons. • Review of 199 studies on the adoption behaviour of residential solar systems. • Regression analysis and spatial analysis are the two most used methods. • Report of 10 dependent variables and 13 forms of behavioural theories. • Deciphered 14 spectra of household categories and 12 forms of household comparisons. • Report of 36 intervention factors that test the managerial policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The level of viral diffusion expected after a technology product or service is launched is important for determining the marketing budget, forecasting revenue, and understanding the resources necessary to manufacture and/or support the technology. Based on a review of academic and industry literature, this study proposes the "Comprehensive Framework of Viral Technology Diffusion—Stages and Factors." The framework specifically draws on stage models developed by Wiedemann et al. (Wiedemann DG, Palka W, Pousttchi K (2008) Understanding the determinants of mobile viral effects-towards a grounded theory of mobile viral marketing. Paper presented at the 2008 7th international conference on mobile business) and Phelps et al. (Phelps et al., J Advert Res 44:333–348, 2004), other academic and industry viral marketing literature, and information systems literature including theories widely used in IS research, such as reasoned actioned (Fishbein and Ajzen Fishbein and Ajzen, Intention and behavior: an introduction to theory and research, Addison-Wesley, MA, 1975), Technology Acceptance Model (Davis 1989; Davis et al. 1989) and planned behavior (Ajzen Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: a theory of planned behavior. In: Action control, Springer. New York, Ajzen, Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 50:179–211, 1991). It details five major stages of viral diffusion campaigns, their relationships to each other, and relevant findings from the literature. The five stages recognized are: content development; virality prediction; seed engagement; content propagation; and virality response. Each stage has been identified in prior studies; however, no comprehensive framework of these constructs, nor their relationships to one another, has so far been found. Some important factors included are, for example, at the propagation stage, consideration of the networks through which viral propagation occur and potential transmission costs faced by content forwarders. Our framework contributes to the literature by providing an outline and related set of factors that may be useful for understanding and positioning future research on viral marketing and may also help practitioners who seek to launch products virally. We also offer directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport sector is particularly difficult to decarbonize. Use of electric vehicles (EV)—a potentially transformative and sustainable transport technology—can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, domestic fossil fuel demand, energy import dependency, and air pollution. Policies play an important role in the diffusion of new technologies, such as EVs, principally in their formative stage as they compete with an incumbent technology. However, great discrepancies exist across countries regarding EV support and uptake. EV diffusion is conceptualized as an outcome of policy diffusion based on national characteristics and international mechanisms. This study aims to explain the variation in EV policy diffusion across countries, by conducting an event history analysis on EV diffusion (EVs > 1% market share) between 2010 and 2017, using a sample of 60 countries. It identifies characteristics and mechanisms relevant to the novel technology's "formative phase", focusing on the formation of state goals, international diffusion, and local technology adoption and deployment. The empirical contribution lies in identifying and validating socioeconomic and political factors and the international mechanisms influencing a country's position on the diffusion curve. This can help improve scenarios via better reflecting EV diffusion. • Global study on variation of EV diffusion (>1% market share). • Formative phase of EV technology diffusion (2010–2017) studied. • EV diffusion as an outcome of EV support policies. • Socioeconomic and political factors and international mechanisms identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the different pathways of technology diffusion and the resulting impacts on technology adoption that can emerge following a strategy to incorporate vulnerable communities of small-scale producers into traditionally top-down governance agribusiness systems. Building on the Contract Farming Arrangements (CFA) literature, we suggest that despite high levels of top-down control and the mono systems of diffusion that these practices imply, diffusion forms can vary considerably according to the motivations that drive different types of producers and the variances in local governance. We summarise these diffusion forms as a diffusion pathway of governance dictated by dominant change agent control and a diffusion pathway of governance dictated by change agent control and user participation. An important contribution of the paper is to highlight the critical role of formal rules in defining the types of governance for the creation of these different pathways. However, additional factors associated with the participation of smallholders such as attachment to land, engagement in collective action and long-term sustainability visions also introduce variations in these pathways and define the results of technology adoption. The study focuses on the Colombian oil palm sector; a key agribusiness sector targeted by policy makers with a strategy to integrate small-scale farmers into the agribusiness value chain as a means to relieve poverty and reduce levels of rural violence associated with conflicts over land and production of elicit crops. • Formal rules are a critical factor in the theory of innovation diffusion. • Different diffusion forms can emerge within centralised-diffusion systems. • Technology adoption can vary due to degree of attachment to agricultural production and long/short term vision. • Technology adoption can vary due to engagement in collective action and motivation of agents. • Values of trust embedded in agreements and technical relationships can impact the adoption of short-term practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New energy technologies such as Distributed Energy Resources (DER) will affect the spatial and temporal patterns of electricity consumption. Models that mimic technology diffusion processes over time are fundamental to support decisions in power system planning and policymaking. This paper shows that spatiotemporal technology diffusion forecasts consist typically of three main modules: 1) a global technology diffusion forecast, 2) the cellular module that is a spatial data substrate with cell states and transition rules, and 3) a spatial mapping module, commonly based on Geographic Information Systems. This work provides a review of previous spatiotemporal DER diffusion models and details their common building blocks. Analyzing 16 model variants of an exemplary spatial simulation model used to predict electric vehicle adoption patterns in Portugal, the analysis suggests that model performance is strongly affected by careful tuning of spatial and temporal granularities and chosen inference techniques. In general, model validation remains challenging, as early diffusion stages have typically few observations for model calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this article is to demonstrate that in a dynamically changing business environment, an organization should focus on embracing imitation strategies such as a safer form of building up its market position. The author addresses issues of innovation and imitation, provides definitions and defines realistic conditions and advantages of imitation strategies. Innovation does not guarantee a company's market success. The research conducted has shown that imitation is not only a commonly used strategy of creating competitiveness, but it is also the foundation of many firms’ success stories. Innovative imitation, technological diffusion, creative imitation should be treated equally as innovation – as a another development strategy, different form of strategy implementation, assuming less risk and wider market access with less risk and cost.

This paper reviews the empirical literature on the determinants of farmer adoption of sustainable intensification technologies in maize agri-food systems of the Global South. The attributes of the technology and the dissemination institutions interact with farm/farmer-specific variables, leading to heterogeneous impacts, making the prediction of technology adoption challenging. However, most empirical studies oversimplify the adoption process and examine only the farm/farmer-specific variables as the determinants of adoption, thereby limiting the scope of learning on how the attributes of the technology and the dissemination system could have been altered to realize a more efficient and more inclusive technological change. We argue for a realignment of empirical adoption analysis for better implications through a conscious rejection of the assumption that the onus of technology performance rests solely with the farmer. Here we review the studies published between 2007 and 2018 on the adoption of sustainable intensification technologies in maize systems of the Global South to examine how the adoption models are currently dependent on the farm/farmer attributes vis-à-vis the attributes of technologies and disseminating institutions. The main findings from a synthesis of 137 adoption studies are threefold. (1) Limited information access and technologies not suitable for the small landholdings were the major constraints of farmer adoption of technologies. (2) The criticisms on the conventional adoption analysis concerning oversimplification and decontextualization of the decision-making process are reaffirmed. (3) The empirical adoption research needs to incorporate the attributes of technologies and the socio-institutional context to develop better research strategies toward inclusive agrarian development. We examine how the framework of the socioeconomic analysis can be reconstructed to facilitate the research and development (R&D) institutions to overcome the major hurdles of rapid and inclusive dissemination. Evaluation of the degree to which the attributes of technology favor its adoption requires increased research attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Summary: Software platforms create value by cultivating an ecosystem of complementary products and services. Existing explanations for how a prospective complementor chooses platforms to join assume the complementor has rich information about the range of available platforms. However, complementors lack this information in many ecosystems, raising the question of how complementors learn about platforms in the first place. We investigate whether attending a temporary gathering—a hackathon—impacts the platform choices of software developers. Through a large‐scale quantitative study of 1,302 developers and 167 hackathons, supported by qualitative research, we analyze the multiple channels—sponsorship, social learning, knowledge exchange, and social coordination—through which hackathons serve as a social forum for the diffusion of platform adoption among attendees. Managerial Summary: A software platform such as Windows, iOS, or Amazon Web Services relies on third‐party developers to create applications that complement the platform and make it valuable for end users. However, developers face a wide range of possible platforms, and they may have limited information about which platforms would be worthwhile to develop for. A software platform business can educate and encourage developers to adopt their platform by supporting in‐person software development competitions, known as hackathons. Developers learn about prospective platforms that advertise at the hackathon. Developers also learn whether and how to use a platform by observing and teaching one other. Hackathons are particularly useful for spreading platform technologies: developers prefer to adopt widely used platforms, and hackathons permit developers to identify and join fashionable platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting renewable energy technology (RET) adoption among the hotel sector would reduce its emissions given that the hotel sector consumes high amounts of electricity. Previous research suggests that the adoption of RET in the hotel sector includes an interplay between incentive policies, technology advancement, tourist behaviour and hotelier perception of RET. However, a quantitative model is needed to triangulate the results. System dynamics simulation, in conjunction with the Generalized Bass model, was used to model RET adoption for the hotel sector in Queensland, Australia. The sensitivity analysis was used to determine the leverage point(s) of RET adoption. The results demonstrated that the adoption rate follows the S-curve growth only when the market condition is favourable; technology performance leverages RET adoption more than the government incentives; and hotelier and tourist perceptions act as market accelerators, triggering more adopters to follow suit. • RET adoption in the hotel sector is S-curve when market condition is favourable. • The hotel sector prioritizes guest satisfaction over the economic viable of RET. • Government could rechannelled its funds to improve renewable technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of health information technology (HIT) as an adjunct to increase safety and quality in healthcare applications is well known. There is a relationship between the use of HIT and safer-prescribing practices in long-term care.Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to determine an association between the use of HIT and the improvement of prescription administration in long-term care facilities.Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the MEDLINE and CINAHL databases. With the use of certain key terms, 66 articles were obtained. Each article was then reviewed by two researchers to determine if the study was germane to the research objective. If both reviewers agreed with using the article, it became a source for our review. The review was conducted and structured based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.Results: The researchers identified 14 articles to include in a group for analysis from North America, Europe, and Australia. Electronic health records and electronic medication administration records were the two most common forms of technological interventions (6 of 14, 43%). Reduced risk, decreased error, decreased missed dosage, improved documentation, improved clinical process, and stronger clinical focus comprised 92% of the observations.Conclusions: HIT has shown beneficial effects for many healthcare organizations. Long-term care facilities that implemented health information technologies, have shown reductions in adverse drug events caused by medication errors overall reduced risk to the organization. The implementation of new technologies did not increase the time nurses spent on medication rounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Being a water stressed country, South Africa has become one of the leading countries in the production of water technological knowledge. • Many local innovations have not achieved their potential commercial success. • Policy measures are necessary to foster diffusion of local water technologies. • Partnerships with industrial operators can help overcome innovation diffusion hurdles. Because of its long experience with water scarcity, South Africa has built a highly active research and innovation capacity in the water sector, which is spearheaded by the Water Research Commission (WRC). As a result, South African scientists have been among the significant contributors to new knowledge creation in the water innovation domain, especially in water treatment technologies. This innovation dynamism has however not been translated into a large-scale harnessing of technological innovations to avert the looming threat of water shortage. This paper combines innovation diffusion theory with the technology maturation framework to explore the main factors that help explain the pace of innovation diffusion in the South African water sector. Data from key informant interview analysis as well as available secondary sources indicate that financing constraints and technical validation difficulties are among the main hurdles limiting the ability of innovators to scale up their inventions for commercialisation. Adoption costs and lack of municipal support budget are the most important factors that limit the ability of low income rural households to adopt water innovations. Policy measures to support diffusion strategies are necessary to ensure that innovators have the means to overcome the multiple diffusion obstacles that they are confronted with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Although the COVID-19 crisis has hit the Chinese economy hard, China's Internet companies have benefited from the quarantine. However, the long-term consequences of the 2020 crisis for the development of the innovative potential of Chinese Internet corporations, primarily the largest platforms such as Alibaba, Baidu, Tencent, and JD.com as integrators of the Chinese Internet economy, are still unclear. This article provides a general overview of changes in the consumption of services of large platforms, including moderate growth in demand, strengthening of the segment of high-tech services (cloud solutions for business, digital healthcare, etc.), digitalization of small and medium enterprises, and expansion of the user audience. The innovative and technological initiatives of the platforms are analyzed. Within the framework of the announced state plans, large platforms, in partnership with regional authorities, business, and universities, intend to develop an advanced digital infrastructure (5G, data centers, etc.) and innovation infrastructure (digital clusters, technology parks, and research centers). Despite the lack of new breakthrough initiatives, the innovation capacity of the platforms is expected to strengthen in the long term. Presumably, the key role will be played by qualitative changes in the markets owing to the diffusion of digital technologies and competences, which will lead to an increase in demand for Internet innovations. The mechanisms of transforming market changes into a resource for innovative development of the platforms are associated with the expansion of market data, the emergence of a complex system of services, and unique innovative ecosystems of the platforms, making it possible to organize and coordinate the innovative activities of various entities, as well as to coopt promising start-ups able to create breakthrough innovations during the crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]