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Reconfiguring the Battery Innovation Landscape

Author

Listed:
  • Jose Silva

    (Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal))

  • Guilherme Tavora

    (Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (Portugal))

  • Sandro Mendonca

    (Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal))

Abstract

The development of battery technologies is critical for energy transition strategies. This paper offers a comprehensive assessment of the trends and developments of battery innovation. Over 700,000 patents from the period of 2005-2019 are compiled and analyzed. Leading patent applicants and countries of origin are identified. Major patent applicants are mostly large East Asian companies, while Japan and South Korea are the leading countries followed by the US, Germany, and China. Different battery designs, the main battery components, and interactions with other clean technologies are examined. Based on the operative definitions for incremental/radical and product/process innovations, a battery innovation typology is set forth. The main findings are that patenting in batteries rises robustly and the lithium-ion battery is the most vibrant technology; lithium-sulfur and flow batteries are the most notable emerging technologies, while electrodes are the most salient battery component. The most significant interactions of batteries with clean energy technologies are between battery charging and photovoltaic energy as well as between battery charging and electric vehicles. Incremental innovation represents more than half of the patents, while product innovation represents approximately 70% of the total patents. This study presents findings that could be useful when making investment decisions on the development of battery and auxiliary low-carbon energy technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Jose Silva & Guilherme Tavora & Sandro Mendonca, 2023. "Reconfiguring the Battery Innovation Landscape," Foresight and STI Governance, National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 17(1), pages 34-50.
    • Handle: RePEc:hig:fsight:v:17:y:2023:i:1:p:34-50
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    File URL: https://foresight-journal.hse.ru/data/2023/04/10/2024406124/3-Mendonca-34-50.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Yegor Domnich, 2022. "The Impact of Product and Process Innovations on Productivity: A Review of Empirical Studies," Foresight and STI Governance, National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 16(3), pages 68-82.
    4. Shih-Chang Hung & Jiun-Yan Lai & John S Liu, 2022. "Mapping technological trajectories as the main paths of knowledge flow: Evidence from printers [Patterns of industrial innovation]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 31(3), pages 863-889.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Metzger, Philipp & Mendonça, Sandro & Silva, José A. & Damásio, Bruno, 2023. "Battery innovation and the Circular Economy: What are patents revealing?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 516-532.
    2. Camuamba, Elsa & Damásio, Bruno & Mendonça, Sandro, 2025. "Assessing critical mineral occurrence in battery technologies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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