Forging Ahead

Book excerpt: Against the pressing challenge of climate change, solar photovoltaic technology (PV) is widely seen as a clean and renewable alternative to fossil fuels. By reviewing the development of the solar energy sector globally, the case of China is prominent, as the country has witnessed a successful technological catching-up and tremendous growth in the production, use and development of solar modules over the past few years. This book takes you on a magic carpet ride through the technological innovation system of China’s PV sector. Through the pages of this book, you will be introduced to the technical components of the solar technology. You will track the development stages of the innovation system in China. You will meet the main actors in the system, and learn about their areas of competence and interaction patterns. Additionally, you will see how their knowledge networks have evolved over time. The book further tells the story of innovation in the midst of solar wars, and how have government policies and international tensions shaped the status quo of the global technological system. While innovation studies have long been concerned with productivity maximization and economic growth, the growing awareness of global environmental and socio-economic challenges has imposed a profound shift to focus on these issues. In that sense, the present book highlights the political- and social- market economy aspects of the innovation system, where economic policy is considered not only to sustain competition and profit maximization, but also, most importantly, to foster shared responsibility in confronting global environmental challenges.