IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v91y2015icp236-249.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Technological convergence and the absorptive capacity of standardisation

Author

Listed:
  • Gauch, Stephan
  • Blind, Knut

Abstract

In this paper a method of identifying trends in technological convergence on the level of technical fields is proposed. Defining convergence as an inherently stable process of structuring inter-technological patterns over time, German patent data are used to project them onto the structure of the output of standards via a concordance list of International Patent Classifications (IPC) symbols and International Classification of Standards (ICS) classes. Using a set of criteria for a reliable measurement of technological convergence, a set of methods, such as explorative identification of agglomerations of technical fields, the analyses of the breadth of technical fields to differentiate between focused and diffused convergence trends and in-depth analysis using a revised version of the Cross-Impact Assessment method, are devised to measure the level and trend of technological convergence. The structures of convergence in technological development and standardisation are in general moderately positively correlated, but that there are significant differences on how these converging trends are covered in the stock of active standards at the level of technical fields.

Suggested Citation

  • Gauch, Stephan & Blind, Knut, 2015. "Technological convergence and the absorptive capacity of standardisation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 236-249.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:91:y:2015:i:c:p:236-249
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2014.02.022
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162514000869
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2014.02.022?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bresnahan, Timothy F. & Trajtenberg, M., 1995. "General purpose technologies 'Engines of growth'?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 83-108, January.
    2. Blind, Knut & Gauch, Stephan, 2008. "Trends in ICT standards: The relationship between European standardisation bodies and standards consortia," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 503-513, August.
    3. Utterback, James M & Abernathy, William J, 1975. "A dynamic model of process and product innovation," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 3(6), pages 639-656, December.
    4. Hawkins, Richard, 1999. "The rise of consortia in the information and communication technology industries: emerging implications for policy," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 159-173, March.
    5. Gambardella, Alfonso & Torrisi, Salvatore, 1998. "Does technological convergence imply convergence in markets? Evidence from the electronics industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 445-463, September.
    6. Belleflamme, Paul, 2002. "Coordination on formal vs. de facto standards: a dynamic approach," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 153-176, March.
    7. Knut Blind, 2004. "The Economics of Standards," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3392.
    8. D. Thorleuchter & D. Van Den Poel & A. Prinzie & -, 2010. "A compared R&D-based and patent-based cross impact analysis for identifying relationships between technologies," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 10/632, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    9. Katz, Michael L, 1996. "Remarks on the Economic Implications of Convergence," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 5(4), pages 1079-1095.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wiegmann, Paul Moritz & de Vries, Henk J. & Blind, Knut, 2017. "Multi-mode standardisation: A critical review and a research agenda," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1370-1386.
    2. Basole, Rahul C. & Park, Hyunwoo & Barnett, Brandon C., 2015. "Coopetition and convergence in the ICT ecosystem," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(7), pages 537-552.
    3. Hu, Yefei & Liu, Dayong, 2022. "Government as a non-financial participant in innovation: How standardization led by government promotes regional innovation performance in China," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    4. Seongkyoon Jeong & Jong-Chan Kim & Jae Young Choi, 2015. "Technology convergence: What developmental stage are we in?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 104(3), pages 841-871, September.
    5. Vialle, Pierre & Song, Junjie & Zhang, Jian, 2012. "Competing with dominant global standards in a catching-up context. The case of mobile standards in China," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 832-846.
    6. Paola Giuri & John Hagedoorn & Myriam Mariani, 2002. "Technological Diversification and Strategic Alliances," LEM Papers Series 2002/04, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    7. Sebastian Eidam & Anja Redenz & David Sonius & Nicole vom Stein, 2017. "Ubiquitous Healthcare — Do the Health and Information Technology Sectors Converge?," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 14(06), pages 1-23, December.
    8. Hezekiah Agwara & Philip Auerswald & Brian Higginbotham, 2013. "Algorithms and the Changing Frontier," NBER Chapters, in: The Changing Frontier: Rethinking Science and Innovation Policy, pages 371-410, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Joshua S. Gans & Michael Kearney & Erin L. Scott & Scott Stern, 2021. "Choosing Technology: An Entrepreneurial Strategy Approach," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(1), pages 39-53, March.
    10. Paolo Calvosa, 2021. "Entry, Exit and Innovation over the Industry Life Cycle in Converging Sectors: An Analysis of the Smartphone Industry," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(12), pages 151-151, July.
    11. Geum, Youngjung & Kim, Moon-Soo & Lee, Sungjoo, 2016. "How industrial convergence happens: A taxonomical approach based on empirical evidences," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 112-120.
    12. Teubner, Lisa K. & Henkel, Joachim & Bekkers, Rudi, 2021. "Industry consortia in mobile telecommunications standards setting: Purpose, organization and diversity," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(3).
    13. Sun, Bing & Yang, Xueting & Zhong, Shen & Tian, Shengnan & Liang, Tian, 2024. "How do technology convergence and expansibility affect information technology diffusion? Evidence from the internet of things technology in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    14. Heo, Pil Sun & Lee, Duk Hee, 2019. "Evolution patterns and network structural characteristics of industry convergence," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 405-426.
    15. Arora, Ashish & Gambardella, Alfonso, 1999. "Markets for technology (why do we see them, why don't we see more of them and why we should care)," DEE - Working Papers. Business Economics. WB 6520, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía de la Empresa.
    16. Tamar C Weenen & Bahar Ramezanpour & Esther S Pronker & Harry Commandeur & Eric Claassen, 2013. "Food-Pharma Convergence in Medical Nutrition– Best of Both Worlds?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(12), pages 1-11, December.
    17. M. Choudhary & Paul Temple & Lei Zhao, 2013. "Taking the measure of things: the role of measurement in EU trade," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 40(1), pages 75-109, February.
    18. Tim POHLMANN, 2014. "The Evolution of ICT Standards Consortia," Communications & Strategies, IDATE, Com&Strat dept., vol. 1(95), pages 17-40, 3rd quart.
    19. Thomas Grebel & Jackie Krafft & Pier-Paolo Saviotti, 2006. "On the Life Cycle of Knowledge Intensive Sectors," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 97(5), pages 63-85.
    20. Justus Baron & Yann Ménière & Tim Pohlmann, 2012. "Joint innovation in ICT standards: How consortia drive the volume of patent filings," Working Papers hal-00707291, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:91:y:2015:i:c:p:236-249. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.