ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews studies of technological change for insights that they provide into how a public programme aimed at stimulating the development of sustainable technologies might be designed. It begins by looking at individual technologies and the technology life-cycle. The chapter looks at patterns and processes that are revealed in the record of technological change and at the co-evolutionary relationship between technological, economic, social and environmental change. It attempts to distinguish the different stages in the process of technology development and, especially, invention, innovation and diffusion. The role of government should be trying to influence technological and development trajectories indirectly, by facilitating innovation in respect to the innovation process itself, rather than by picking and backing prospective technological 'winners'. The chapter explains some generalisations about technological change processes and draw lessons that hold important implications for the sustainable technology development programme design. Technological change is also useful to draw attention to the relationship between technology development and competitiveness.
