Abstract
Whereas neo-classical thinking argues that price signals (environmental taxes, quotas with tradable permits) provide sufficient incentive for industrial firms to develop green innovations given the potential for profit, it appears that other factors, related to institutional conditions and the distribution of knowledge, help to keep the current technological paradigms in place (Kemp, 1994). To understand how innovation processes lead to a transformation in socio-technical systems, Smith et al. (2010) suggest combining an analysis of the new technology design process with a perspective rooted in markets, organizations, regulations and infrastructure. They emphasize the initial deployments in market niches and their role in creating networks of companies pursuing environmental innovation on a broader scale. Meanwhile, the literature on breakthrough innovations and new product development in environments with a high degree of uncertainty (Lynn et al., 1996; Loch et al., 2006) highlights the role of pilot testing as a source of learning (about uses, technical feasibility and so on).
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© 2012 Florence Charue-Duboc and Christophe Midler
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Charue-Duboc, F., Midler, C. (2012). Balancing a Strong Strategic Intent and an Experimental Approach to Electric Vehicles. In: Calabrese, G. (eds) The Greening of the Automotive Industry. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137018908_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137018908_6
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