Knowledge flows in global renewable energy innovation systems: the role of technological and geographical distance

Understanding the global knowledge dynamics of renewable energy technologies requires consideration of both technological and geographical dimensions. This paper assesses the relative importance of technological and geographical distant knowledge in the future knowledge development of technological innovation systems (TIS) of renewables. Using global renewable energy patents, we quantify the absorptive capacity of countries as the degree of knowledge accumulation in the knowledge diffusion between domestic actors in a TIS. Our results show that international knowledge flows within a renewable energy TIS are more important for countries with smaller absorptive capacity, whereas countries with larger absorptive capacity benefit more from domestic knowledge originating in other TISs. Consequently, each country faces unique opportunities and constraints with respect to global technological developments when developing renewable energy technologies. These findings lead to policy implications that are specific to developing renewable energy technologies in different countries.