Wind of change: On the use of patents in the wind power industry
Description
Studying the relationship between patents and innovation is worthwhile in at least two respects. First, it provides information about the efficiency of the patent system in fulfilling its original objective of promoting innovation. Second, it is informative about the relevance of relying on patent counts to proxy the inventive activity of firms or countries. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze this relationship in the context of a 'green' technology, namely wind power. Low-carbon innovation policies usually imply generic policy instruments - such as a patent system - that are supposed to encourage firms to invest in the R and D process while directing technical change by relying on environmental policy instruments. In this regard, the patent system has a key role to play in achieving climate goals, both as a measure and a driver of a low-carbon innovation policy. The first chapter deals with the issue of 'strategic' uses of patents through the prism of patent oppositions. By examining the determinants of both oppositions and their outcomes, it aims at assessing whether 'misuses' of patents and oppositions are common practices in the field. The second chapter aims at distinguishing patents covering product and process inventions based on a semantic analysis of patents' descriptions. This work plays a pivotal role as it serves the two following chapters. The latter are both attempts to assess whether firms holding patents are those having actual contributions to technical change, but they differ in the way they capture these contributions. The third chapter focuses on product innovation and studies the relationship between patents and improvements in technical characteristics of turbines. The fourth chapter follows the very same logic but is interested in process innovation and the decrease in the cost of technology. Ultimately, based on an extensive study of the wind power industry, there is no evidence that the European patent system fails in its objective of catalyzing innovation. (author)
Abstract (French)
L'etude de la relation entre brevets et innovation presente un interet a au moins deux egards. D'une part, elle permet d'apprecier si le systeme des brevets est un instrument efficace dans son role originel de catalyseur de l'innovation. D'autre part, elle apporte une information sur la pertinence du recours aux donnees de brevets comme reflet de l'activite inventive des firmes ou des pays. L'objectif de cette these est d'etudier cette relation dans le cadre de la technologie bas-carbone qu'est l'energie eolienne. La solution retenue par les pouvoirs publics en matiere d'innovation 'verte' est bien souvent le couplage entre une politique visant a inciter les agents economiques a s'engager dans le processus de R et D - un systeme de brevets s'inscrivant dans cette logique - et une politique visant a orienter cet effort de recherche vers des technologies propres. En ce sens, le systeme des brevets a un role cle a jouer dans la realisation des objectifs climatiques, tant comme instrument de suivi que de conduite de la politique d'innovation bas-carbone. Le premier chapitre aborde la question des usages dits 'strategiques' des brevets sous le prisme de la procedure d'opposition. Plus precisement, il s'agit d'etudier, en examinant les determinants des oppositions de brevets et de l'issue de ces oppositions, si les comportements des firmes mettent en lumiere de tels usages. Dans un deuxieme chapitre, nous cherchons a distinguer par des techniques d'analyse semantique les brevets relevant de l'innovation de produit des brevets couvrant des inventions de procede. Ce chapitre joue un role charniere en alimentant les chapitres subsequents. Tous deux cherchent a apprecier si les firmes qui detiennent les brevets sont celles qui contribuent de maniere effective au progres technique, mais different quant a la mesure de ces contributions. Le troisieme chapitre s'interesse a l'innovation de produit, et plus specifiquement a la relation entre brevets et evolution dans les caracteristiques techniques des turbines. Le quatrieme chapitre suit la meme logique, mais se concentre sur l'innovation de procede et la baisse du cout de la technologie. Finalement, sur la base d'une etude de l'industrie de l'energie eolienne, rien n'indique que le systeme europeen des brevets echoue a remplir sa fonction d'incitation a l'innovation. (auteur)
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Additional details
Additional titles
- Original title (English)
- Wind of change: De l'usage des brevets dans l'industrie de l'energie eolienne
Publishing Information
- Imprint Pagination
- 212 p.
- Report number
- FRNC-TH--15118
INIS
- Country of Publication
- France
- Country of Input or Organization
- France
- INIS RN
- 55004520
- Subject category
- S17: WIND ENERGY;
- Resource subtype / Literary indicator
- Thesis
- Descriptors DEI
- COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; COST; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; MANUFACTURERS; MARKET; PATENTS; TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS; WIND POWER INDUSTRY; WIND TURBINES
- Descriptors DEC
- DOCUMENT TYPES; ECONOMICS; EQUIPMENT; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; INDUSTRY; MACHINERY; SIMULATION; TURBINES; TURBOMACHINERY
Optional Information
- Notes
- [130 refs.]; Available from the INIS Liaison Officer for France, see the INIS website for current contact and E-mail addresses