Exploring the fuel-cell technological innovation system: Technology interactions in the mobility sector

Abstract

With the rise of alternative sustainable powertrain technologies, the mobility paradigm has undergone fundamental changes in recent years. In the wake of the ongoing transition of the road-vehicle sector, fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs) have received increased political attention. However, they constitute only a tiny fraction of total road vehicles nowadays and still face competition from other powertrain technologies. Therefore, this study specifically focuses on how the focal technological innovation system of FCVs is influenced by the emerging electric vehicles (EVs) and established internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) as its context structures. To this end, our time-series vector error correction models analyze the short- and long-run causalities between our focal TIS and its context structures. Using publications, patents, and standards as quantitative TIS indicators, we analyze the modes of technology interaction between FCVs and EVs and FCVs and ICEVs to determine the life-cycle phase of our focal FCV-TIS in more depth. Our results demonstrate that the FCV-TIS is in its formative phase based on the dominance of the EV and ICEV context structures. As policy implications, we derive application-sensitive technology policies that combine the benefits of each mobility technology toward the sustainable transition of the mobility sector.

Keywords

• Technological innovation system (TIS)
• Technology interaction
• TIS-context relations
• Fuel-cell vehicles
• Electric vehicles
• Internal combustion engine vehicles