Abstract
Renewable energy industries that replace fossil fuels with biomass-based alternatives are at the forefront of a shift to and an advanced bioeconomy. In the United States, government policies promote second-generation liquid biofuels that use non-food feedstocks like switchgrass to foster industry development. Although government policies and related industry activity created a market niche for switchgrass biofuels, geographic, technical, and institutional barriers limit industry development and regional branching. Policy alone has not been enough to disrupt an industry path dominated by corn-based production. Formation of a switchgrass-based biofuel industry depends on stabilisation of production around a series of inter-related process innovations. Unlike corn-based biofuels, switchgrass and other cellulosic biofuels have no single existing related industry value chain to use to resolve coordination problems. The experience with switchgrass sheds light on the innovation process in general by drawing attention to the early stage of science and technology development.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 486-499 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Technology Analysis and Strategic Management |
Volume | 29 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 28 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Innovation studies
- green technology
- technological change and dynamics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Strategy and Management
- Management Science and Operations Research