The transitions of technological innovation systems in the transnational context: the example of China’s solar photovoltaic industry (1970s–2010s)

ABSTRACT

This article investigates the trajectory of China’s solar photovoltaic industry through the perspective of technological innovation systems (TISs). Based on the directed content analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews, we find that as each domestic TIS is simultaneously embedded within the national and global arenas, the components of the domestic TISs in terms of actors, networks and institutions are developed in both national and transnational scopes. Although the international linkages between national institutions and transnational networks of governance shape the exogenous environment of actors’ networks on a macro level, national institutions govern the domestic actors and their networks on a meso level. If the domestic TIS’s functions are appropriately guided by institutions on higher levels, novel technologies that sustainably transit the systems would then emerge and rapidly grow on a micro level.

KEYWORDS:

• Technological innovation systems
• renewable energy
• solar photovoltaics industry
• China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 On 4 November 2019, the government of the United States, led by President Trump, notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, which took effect on 4 November 2020. The Trump administration’s decision will lead to emissions increasing through 2025. However, the withdrawal of the United States has also provided a unique opportunity for China and the European Union to take control of the climate regime and embolden new leadership in international climate action (Kemp 2017).

2 According to Arimah and Ebohon (2000), energy transitions are the processes, which increase the volume and proportion of alternative renewable energies to replace the traditional fuels as main sources of energy. Innovation systems and multi-level perspectives (MLPs) provide different theoretical lenses to explain how and why energy transitions occur (Araújo 2014). Although both theoretical lenses acknowledge that systems of energy innovation are guided by governance frameworks at multiple levels, each lens adopts different categories for governance layers. Innovation systems, which possess a spatially sensitive view for system boundaries examines the layers of governance frameworks by geographical scopes, such as international, national or sub-national levels (Kaiser and Prange 2004). Contrastingly, MLPs divide multi-layers of governance frameworks into landscape, regimes and niches and view transitions as situations that prevail on regimes to allow breakthroughs in niches (Geels 2005). Because this article follows innovation systems and takes a spatially sensitive view of system transitions, we define multi-levels of governance frameworks according to geographical scopes, i.e. transnational networks, national institutions and domestic dynamics of system functions.

Additional information

Funding

Part of the work was financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 413000097) through Wuhan University.

Notes on contributors

Yating Zhang

Yating Zhang is a lecturer in Qu Qiubai School of Government, Changzhou University.

Chung-Han Tsai

Chung-Han Tsai is an associate professor in School of Urban Economics and Management, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture.

Chao-chen Chung

Chao-chen Chung is a research professor in School of Political Science and Public Administration, Wuhan University.