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'Chariots of Fire': The Evolution of Tank Technology, 1915-1945

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Author Info
Carolina Castaldi
Roberto Fontana
Alessandro Nuvolari

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Abstract

We revisit the notion of technological trajectories by means of a detailed case-study of the evolution of tank technology between 1915 and 1945. We use principal component analysis to analyze the distribution of technological characteristics and how they map into specific service characteristics. We find that, despite the existence of differences in technical leadership, tank designs of different countries show a high degree of overlap and closeness along a common technological trajectory. In the conclusions, we speculate on whether this pattern can be explained by common heuristics that influenced the rate and direction of design activities or by doctrinal viewpoints influencing the development and use of tanks on the battlefield.

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Paper provided by Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy in its series LEM Papers Series with number 2006/03.

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Date of creation: 24 Jan 2006
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Handle: RePEc:ssa:lemwps:2006/03

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Related research
Keywords: Technological trajectories; Technological paradigms; Tanks.;

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  1. Sahal, Devendra, 1985. "Technological guideposts and innovation avenues," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 61-82, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Frenken, K. & Nuvolari, A., 2003. "The Early Development of the Steam Engine: An Evolutionary Interpretation using Complexity Theory," ECIS Working Papers 03.15, Eindhoven Centre for Innovation Studies, Eindhoven University of Technology. [Downloadable!]
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  3. Dosi, Giovanni, 1988. "Sources, Procedures, and Microeconomic Effects of Innovation," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 26(3), pages 1120-71, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Saviotti, P. P. & Metcalfe, J. S., 1984. "A theoretical approach to the construction of technological output indicators," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 141-151, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Dosi, Giovanni, 1982. "Technological paradigms and technological trajectories : A suggested interpretation of the determinants and directions of technical change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 147-162, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Verspagen, B., 2005. "Mapping Technological Trajectories as Patent Citation Networks. A Study on the History of Fuel Cell Research," ECIS Working Papers 05.11, Eindhoven Centre for Innovation Studies, Eindhoven University of Technology. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Dosi, Giovanni, 1997. "Opportunities, Incentives and the Collective Patterns of Technological Change," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 107(444), pages 1530-47, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Bernard Bourgeois & Phuong Nguyen & Pier-Paolo Saviotti & Michel Trommetter, 2005. "Variety and the evolution of refinery processing," Post-Print halshs-00003937_v1, HAL. [Downloadable!]
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  9. Mina, A. & Ramlogan, R. & Tampubolon, G. & Metcalfe, J.S., 2007. "Mapping evolutionary trajectories: Applications to the growth and transformation of medical knowledge," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 789-806, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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