Seminar Room 1, Espais de Recerca (ERE)

Duration: 30 minutes

Abstract: This paper estimates the importance of knowledge flows for innovation in renewable energies. We do so by introducing the knowledge base theory to explain innovation in renewable energies. More specifically, we explore if renewable energies are embedded with knowledge that would distinguish them from the bulk of innovation and therefore knowledge flows would have a different impact on them. We estimate a Knowledge Production Function approach with patent data for the European regions in the 2000-2010 period. Among the main results, it is shown that scientific knowledge is an important factor to foster innovation in renewable energies and, actually it is more important than for innovation in rest of technological fields. Additionally, we found that renewable energy technologies are susceptible to knowledge flows from the technological sector, although we do not distinguish a spatial pattern different from that affecting innovation in general.