Specialization Patterns for the Development of Renewable Energy Generation Technologies across Countries

Renewable energy is a global priority, as it addresses the goals of carbon neutrality and plays an important role in reshaping energy mixes. The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources (solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, hydropower, wind, and biomass) must be performed without negatively a...

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Main Authors: Adriana Grigorescu, Victor Raul Lopez Ruiz, Cristina Lincaru, Elena Condrea
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-10-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/20/7164
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author Adriana Grigorescu
Victor Raul Lopez Ruiz
Cristina Lincaru
Elena Condrea
author_facet Adriana Grigorescu
Victor Raul Lopez Ruiz
Cristina Lincaru
Elena Condrea
author_sort Adriana Grigorescu
collection DOAJ
description Renewable energy is a global priority, as it addresses the goals of carbon neutrality and plays an important role in reshaping energy mixes. The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources (solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, hydropower, wind, and biomass) must be performed without negatively affecting economic growth or our quality of life. Renewable energy-generating technologies (patents) and their implementation (commercialization and usage) play essential roles, as they are the main steps in the process of the transition from conventional to emerging technologies. The decreased usage of fossil fuels, the objectives of the European Green Deal, and other constraints have pushed countries to seek innovative solutions. Depending on the available resources, these solutions involve a wide variety of approaches and may involve the emergence of specific patterns. This study addresses the identification of the cross-country features of specialization patterns in developing renewable energy generation technologies. The methods used are the analysis of the evolution of patent numbers with country fractional value, the application of the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index to renewable energy generation, and the use of the multivariate clustering spatial statistics tool combined with spatial representation. The findings show the differences between countries at the global level and, more specifically, at the EU level, by clustering the countries based on their specialization pattern of renewable energy generation technologies. EU countries belong to the same cluster at the international level, and the deep clustering model shows four patterns. Moreover, the findings highlighted the country profile to be used as a competitive advantage and the group of countries with the same or similar pattern that could be used as partners in implementing new technologies or as models for future actions. The geographical distribution of the specialization offers a picture of potential market development for patents and renewable energy technologies. The countries specialization is a hotspot for decision makers for further developments and policy design support.
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spelling doaj.art-daa9b98d6b844cc2926aef8ace622b642023-11-19T16:23:04ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-10-011620716410.3390/en16207164Specialization Patterns for the Development of Renewable Energy Generation Technologies across CountriesAdriana Grigorescu0Victor Raul Lopez Ruiz1Cristina Lincaru2Elena Condrea3Department of Public Management, Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Expozitiei Boulevard, 30A, 012104 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Spanish and International Economics, Econometrics and History and Economic Institutions, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Plaza Universidad, 1, 02071 Albacete, SpainNational Scientific Research Institute for Labor and Social Protection, Povernei Street 6, 010643 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Economics, Faculty of Economic Science, Ovidius University from Constanta, Mamaia Boulevard, 124, 900527 Constanta, RomaniaRenewable energy is a global priority, as it addresses the goals of carbon neutrality and plays an important role in reshaping energy mixes. The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources (solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, hydropower, wind, and biomass) must be performed without negatively affecting economic growth or our quality of life. Renewable energy-generating technologies (patents) and their implementation (commercialization and usage) play essential roles, as they are the main steps in the process of the transition from conventional to emerging technologies. The decreased usage of fossil fuels, the objectives of the European Green Deal, and other constraints have pushed countries to seek innovative solutions. Depending on the available resources, these solutions involve a wide variety of approaches and may involve the emergence of specific patterns. This study addresses the identification of the cross-country features of specialization patterns in developing renewable energy generation technologies. The methods used are the analysis of the evolution of patent numbers with country fractional value, the application of the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index to renewable energy generation, and the use of the multivariate clustering spatial statistics tool combined with spatial representation. The findings show the differences between countries at the global level and, more specifically, at the EU level, by clustering the countries based on their specialization pattern of renewable energy generation technologies. EU countries belong to the same cluster at the international level, and the deep clustering model shows four patterns. Moreover, the findings highlighted the country profile to be used as a competitive advantage and the group of countries with the same or similar pattern that could be used as partners in implementing new technologies or as models for future actions. The geographical distribution of the specialization offers a picture of potential market development for patents and renewable energy technologies. The countries specialization is a hotspot for decision makers for further developments and policy design support.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/20/7164renewable energyregional specializationdevelopment patternscross-country analysis
spellingShingle Adriana Grigorescu
Victor Raul Lopez Ruiz
Cristina Lincaru
Elena Condrea
Specialization Patterns for the Development of Renewable Energy Generation Technologies across Countries
Energies
renewable energy
regional specialization
development patterns
cross-country analysis
title Specialization Patterns for the Development of Renewable Energy Generation Technologies across Countries
title_full Specialization Patterns for the Development of Renewable Energy Generation Technologies across Countries
title_fullStr Specialization Patterns for the Development of Renewable Energy Generation Technologies across Countries
title_full_unstemmed Specialization Patterns for the Development of Renewable Energy Generation Technologies across Countries
title_short Specialization Patterns for the Development of Renewable Energy Generation Technologies across Countries
title_sort specialization patterns for the development of renewable energy generation technologies across countries
topic renewable energy
regional specialization
development patterns
cross-country analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/20/7164
work_keys_str_mv AT adrianagrigorescu specializationpatternsforthedevelopmentofrenewableenergygenerationtechnologiesacrosscountries
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AT elenacondrea specializationpatternsforthedevelopmentofrenewableenergygenerationtechnologiesacrosscountries