Green windows of opportunity: latecomer development in the age of transformation toward sustainability

Abstract

The world is in the early stages of a paradigm transition toward a global green economy. In this article, we propose the notion of green windows of opportunity, highlighting the importance of institutional changes in the creation of new opportunities for latecomer development. We emphasize how demand and mission-guided technical change influence the directionality of latecomer development and highlight the important role emerging economies may attain in the global green transformation. We provide important insights regarding opportunities for green development in emerging economies, how these opportunities emerge in different renewable energy sectors and their implications for the global green economy.

The Green Side of Industry: The Drivers and the Impacts of ECO-Innovations in Brazil

“…Technological forecasting aims to sensitize and alert public and private managers about trends in technological trajectories at national and global levels and, at the same time, about the benefits of considering these trends. As previously mentioned, the theme of EIs or sustainable technological development is in the list of global megatrends, highlighting the strong link between technological changes and the environmental dimension [5,7,10,11,70]. It is important to emphasize that this instrument also intends to provoke improvements in the discourse in general, which is fundamental for changing an outdated technological trajectory.…”

“…In discussions about technological changes, there are high expectations regarding the potential of green technologies [5][6][7] and the competitive advantages of EIs [8]. Investment targeting renewable energies, biotechnologies, and more technically and ecologically efficient products and processes is key to a new technological model [9][10][11].…”

Making sense of global value chain-oriented policies: The trifecta of tasks, linkages, and firms

“…In China, similar policy measures have also been adopted in other industries, such as for instance those related to renewable energies, allowing a rapid upgrading in GVCs. Lema et al ( 2020 ) show that the state has also played a key role in creating a domestic market which has been key for supporting the technological upgrading of domestic industries. The implementation of the Renewable Energy Law in 2006 and sector-focused ‘missions’ such as the Rooftop Subsidy and the Golden Sun Demonstration Programs implemented in the solar sector, together with investments aimed at building domestic production and innovative capabilities, have supported the development of the domestic industries and the progressive upgrading of domestic companies within GVCs.…”

Sino-Danish cooperation in the energy transition

“…These policies include a mandate to replace imported technology in core infrastructure, the use of public procurement to block products not designed, developed or produced in China, a requirement for imports to pass product testing and approval regimes, the use of domestic patent rules, and the leveraging of Chinese industrial and technology standards as market barriers to foreign technology. Consequently, many Chinese firms have developed to a size and standard that is fast closing the gap on foreign technology (Fu 2015;Lema et al 2020), presenting a huge challenge to incumbent companies from the so-called advanced economies.…”