Comparative Analysis of the Diffusion of Innovations in Wind Energy in European Countries

Objective: The aim of this article is to compare the diffusion processes of innovations in wind energy among selected European countries. Research Design & Methods: The study used the Bass model, with parameters estimated separately for each country, and then, based on the obtained parameter estimates, a taxonomic analysis of the compared countries was carried out. This enabled the identification of regularities between the obtained indicators of innovation, imitation and market potential. Ward’s method, using Euclidean distance, was applied in the cluster analysis, and the contribution of variables to differentiating the resulting groups of countries was assessed using ANOVA. Findings: The results of the taxonomic analysis enabled the isolation of the diffusion profiles of innovations in wind energy technologies. In particular, it has been proven that innovators are large countries with strong economies, high levels of GDP and a high share of spending on research and development. The imitators of such technologies are primarily countries in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, where the level of expenditure on research and development is lower than in Western Europe. Implications / Recommendations: The results presented in the article may support the development of an energy system with a high share of renewable energy sources. Moreover, they can be helpful in assessing the effectiveness of the actions of individual countries’ governments in decarbonising their economies. Contribution: The research results presented in this article fill the research gap in the field of comparative analysis of innovation diffusion profiles in wind energy in European countries.