Innovation and adoption of energy efficient technologies: An exploratory analysis of Italian primary metal manufacturing SMEs

Energy Policy

Volumn 61, Issue , 2013, Pages 430-440

  Trianni, Andrea ^a   Cagno, Enrico ^a   Worrell, Ernst ^b  

^a POLITECNICO DI MILANO   (Italy)

^b UTRECHT UNIVERSITY   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Barriers; Energy efficiency; Innovation

Indexed keywords

ADOPTION OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES; BARRIERS; BARRIERS TO ENERGY EFFICIENCIES; DIFFUSION OF TECHNOLOGY; INDUSTRIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY; INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISE; MANUFACTURING SECTOR; SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISE;

ENERGY EFFICIENCY; INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH; INNOVATION; METALLURGY;

INDUSTRY;

ENERGY EFFICIENCY; FIRM SIZE; INNOVATION; MANUFACTURING; METALS INDUSTRY; SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISE;

ITALY;

EID: 84881661939     PISSN: 03014215     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.06.034     Document Type: Article

References (100)

1. Acs Z.J., Anselin L., Varga A. Patents and innovation counts as measures of regional production of new knowledge. Research Policy 2002, 31:1069-1085.
2. Amara, N., Landry, R., Becheikh, N., Ouimet, M., 2004. Radical innovations in traditional manufacturing industries. In: DRUID Summer Conference 2004 on Industrial DYnamics, Innovation and Development. Elsinore, Denmark.
3. Anderson S.T., Newell R.G. Information programs for technology adoption: the case of energy-efficiency audits. Resource and Energy Economics 2004, 26:27-50.
4. Backlund S., Thollander P., Palm J., Ottosson M. Extending the energy efficiency gap. Energy Policy 2012, 51:392-396.
5. Becheikh N., Landry R., Amara N. Lessons from innovation empirical studies in the manufacturing sector: a systematic review of the literature from 1993 to 2003. Technovation 2006, 26:644-664.
6. Beerepoot M., Beerepoot N. Government regulation as an impetus for innovation: evidence from energy performance regulation in the Dutch residential building sector. Energy Policy 2007, 35:4812-4825.
7. Beise M., Rennings K. Lead Markets of Environmental Innovations: and Environmental Economics 2003, Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim.
8. Benner M.J., Tushman M.L. Exploitation, exploration, and process management: the productivity dilemma revisited. Academy of Management Review 2003, 28:238-256.
9. Bessant J., Tidd J. Innovation and Entrepreneurship 2007, John Wily & Sons, Chichester, UK.
10. Bozarth C.C., Warsing D.P., Flynn B.B., Flynn E.J. The impact of supply chain complexity on manufacturing plant performance. Journal of Operations Management 2009, 27:78-93.
11. Brown M.A. Market failures and barriers as a basis for clean energy policies. Energy Policy 2001, 29:1197-1207.
12. Cagno E., Trianni A. Analysis of the most effective energy efficiency opportunities in manufacturing primary metals, plastics, and textiles small- and medium-sized enterprises. Journal of Energy Resources Technology 2012, 134:021005. (9 pages).
13. Cagno E., Trianni A. Exploring drivers for energy efficiency within small- and medium-sized enterprises: first evidences from Italian manufacturing enterprises. Applied Energy 2013, 104:276-285.
14. Cagno E., Worrell E., Trianni A., Pugliese G. A novel approach for barriers to industrial energy efficiency. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2013, 19:290-308.
15. Chen Y.-S., Lai S.-B., Wen C.-T. The influence of green innovation performance on corporate advantage in Taiwan. Journal of Business Ethics 2006, 67:331-339.
16. Cooremans, C., 2007. Strategic fit of Energy Efficiency (Strategic and Cultural Dimensions of Energy-efficiency Investments). In: ECEEE 2007 Summer Study - Saving Energy - Just Do It! 73-82.
17. Dahlin K.B., Behrens D.M. When is an invention really radical?. Research Policy 2005, 34:717-737.
18. De Almeida E.L.F. Energy efficiency and the limits of market forces: the example of the electric motor market in France. Energy Policy 1998, 26:643-653.
19. De Groot F.H.L., Verhoef E.T., Nijkamp P. Energy saving by firms: decision-making, barriers and policies. Energy Economics 2001, 23:717-740.
20. DeCanio S.J. The efficiency paradox: bureaucratic and organizational barriers to profitable energy-saving investments. Energy Policy 1998, 26:441-454.
21. Del Rio Gonzalez P. Analysing the factors influencing clean technology adoption: a study of the Spanish pulp and paper industry. Business Strategy and the Environment 2005, 14:20-37.
22. Demirel P., Kesidou E. Stimulating different types of eco-innovation in the UK: Government policies and firm motivations. Ecological Economics 2011, 70:1546-1557.
23. Dieperink C., Brand I., Vermeulen W. Diffusion of energy-saving innovations in industry and the built environment: Dutch studies as inputs for a more integrated analytical framework. Energy Policy 2004, 32:773-784.
24. ECORYS SCS Group FWC Sector Competitiveness Studies-Competitiveness of the EU Metalworking and Metal Articles Industries 2009, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
25. EIM Business & Policy Research, 2011. Do SMEs Create More and Better Jobs?. Report Prepared Under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme 2007-2013, Brussels, Belgium.
26. European Commission Survey of the Observatory of European SMEs 2007, Flash Eurobarometer, Brussels, Belgium.
27. European Commission COM(2011)370 final, Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Energy Efficiency and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC. Official Journal of the European Union, Brussels 2011.
28. European Commission Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC. Official Journal of the European Union, Brussels 2012.
29. European Council COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Official Journal of the European Union 2003.
30. Feldman M. Location and innovation: the new economic geography of innovation, spillovers, and agglomeration. The Oxford Handbook of Economic Geography 2000, 373-394. Oxford University Press, Oxford. M. Feldman, G. Clark, M. Gertler (Eds.).
31. Fleiter T., Schleich J., Ravivanpong P. Adoption of energy-efficiency measures in SMEs-an empirical analysis based on energy audit data from Germany. Energy Policy 2012, 51:863-875.
32. Flor M., Oltra M. Identification of innovating firms through technological innovation indicators: an application to the Spanish ceramic tile industry. Research Policy 2004, 33:323-336.
33. Foxon T.J., Gross R., Chase A., Howes J., Arnall A., Anderson D. UK innovation systems for new and renewable energy technologies: drivers, barriers and systems failures. Energy Policy 2005, 33:2123-2137.
34. Geng Y., Xinbei W., Qinghua Z., Hengxin Z. Regional initiatives on promoting cleaner production in China: a case of Liaoning. Journal of Cleaner Production 2010, 18:1502-1508.
35. Golove W.H., Eto J.H. Market barriers to energy efficiency: a critical reappraisal of the rationale for public policies to promote energy efficiency. Energy & Environment. Berkeley, CA, US 1996.
36. Halila F., Rundquist J. The development and market success of eco-innovations: a comparative study of eco-innovations and "other" innovations in Sweden. European Journal of Innovation Management 2011, 14:278-302.
37. Hausman A. Innovativeness among small businesses: theory and propositions for future research. Industrial Marketing Management 2005, 34:773-782.
38. Hellström, T., 2007. Dimensions of Environmentally Sustainable Innovation the Structure of Eco-Innovation Concepts, 159, 148-159.
39. Herrmann H., Wagner G. Conceptual continuity as a mode of understanding complex systems. Complexity 2006, 11:20-24.
40. Hirst E., Brown M. Closing the efficiency gap[U+202F]: barriers to the efficient use of energy. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 1990, 3:267-281.
41. Hofer C., Cantor D.E., Dai J. The competitive determinants of a firm's environmental management activities: evidence from US manufacturing industries. Journal of Operations Management 2012, 30:69-84.
42. Hudson M., Smart A., Bourne M. Theory and practice in SME performance measurement systems. International Journal of Operations & Production Management 2001, 21:1096-1115.
43. IPCC Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, 2001. Barriers, Opportunities, and Market Potential of Technologies and Practices (Chapter 5) in Climate Change Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, p. 54.
44. ISTAT Istituto Nazionale di Statistica, 2004. 8° Censimento generale dell'industria e dei servizi. Rome, Italy (in Italian).
45. Jaffe A.B., Stavins R.N. The energy-efficiency gap What does it mean?. Energy Policy 1994, 22:804-810.
46. Jochem E., Gruber E. Local learning-networks on energy efficiency in industry-Successful initiative in Germany. Applied Energy 2007, 84:806-816.
47. Kemp R., Volpi M. The diffusion of clean technologies: a review with suggestions for future diffusion analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production 2008, 16:S14-S21.
48. Kleinknecht A., Montfort K., Van, Brouwer E. The non-trivial choice between innovation indicators. Economics of Innovation and New Technology 2002, 11:109-121.
49. Kostka, G., Moslener, U., Jan, G., 2011. Barriers to Energy Efficiency Improvement: Empirical Evidence from Small- and Medium Sized Enterprises in China. Working Paper, Ed. No. 178, Frankfurt (DE).
50. Liu X., Niu D., Bao C., Suk S., Shishime T. A survey study of energy saving activities of industrial companies in Taicang, China. Journal of Cleaner Production 2012, 26:79-89.
51. Lombardy Region, 2013. Lombardy Region. Nel Nord dell'Italia, nel cuore dell'Europa. URL (last access 5.4.13) (in Italian). http://www.regione.lombardia.it.
52. Luiten E., Van Lente H., Blok K. Slow technologies and government intervention: energy efficiency in industrial process technologies. Technovation 2006, 26:1029-1044.
53. Luiten E.E.M., Blok K. Stimulating R&D of industrial energy-efficient technology; the effect of government intervention on the development of strip casting technology. Energy Policy 2003, 31:1339-1356.
54. Martin R., MuÛls M., De Preux L.B., Wagner U.J. Anatomy of a paradox: management practices, organizational structure and energy efficiency. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 2012, 63:208-223.
55. Matus K.J.M., Xiao X., Zimmerman J.B. Green chemistry and green engineering in China: drivers, policies and barriers to innovation. Journal of Cleaner Production 2012, 32:193-203.
56. McDaniel B. A survey on entrepreneurship and innovation. The Social Science Journal 2000, 37:277-284.
57. Mills E., Rosenfelds A.R.T. Consumer non-energy benefits as a motivation for making energy-efficiency improvements. Energy 1996, 21:707-720.
58. Mondal Alam Hossain, Kamp M., Pachova, N.I.L.M. Drivers, barriers, and strategies for implementation of renewable energy technologies in rural areas in Bangladesh-an innovation system analysis. Energy Policy 2010, 38:4626-4634.
59. Murillo-Luna J.L., Garcés-Ayerbe C., Rivera-Torres P. Barriers to the adoption of proactive environmental strategies. Journal of Cleaner Production 2011, 19:1417-1425.
60. Negro S.O., Alkemade F., Hekkert M.P. Why does renewable energy diffuse so slowly? A review of innovation system problems. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2012, 16:3836-3846.
61. Noailly J., Batrakova S. Stimulating energy-efficient innovations in the Dutch building sector: empirical evidence from patent counts and policy lessons. Energy Policy 2010, 38:7803-7817.
62. OECD, 2009. Sustainable Manufacturing and Eco-Innovation: Framework, Practices and Measurement. Synthesis Report. Paris, France.
63. O'Regan N., Ghobadian A., Gallear D. In search of the drivers of high growth in manufacturing SMEs. Technovation 2006, 26:30-41.
64. Palm J. Placing barriers to industrial energy efficiency in a social context: a discussion of lifestyle categorisation. Energy Efficiency 2009, 2:263-270.
65. Palm J., Thollander P. An interdisciplinary perspective on industrial energy efficiency. Applied Energy 2010, 87:3255-3261.
66. Parmigiani A., Klassen R.D., Russo M.V. Efficiency meets accountability: performance implications of supply chain configuration, control, and capabilities. Journal of Operations Management 2011, 29:212-223.
67. Patton M.Q. Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods 1991, Sage Publication, Inc., Saint Paul, MN, US. Third Edit. ed.
68. Porter M.E. The competitive advantage of nations. Harvard Business Review 1990, 68:73-93.
69. Prakash Y., Gupta M. Exploring the relationship between organisation structure and perceived innovation in the manufacturing sector of India. Singapore Management Review 2008, 30:55-76.
70. Pye M., Mckane A. Making a stronger case for industrial energy efficiency by quantifying non-energy benefits. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2000, 28:171-183.
71. Reddy A.K.N. Barriers to improvements in energy efficiency. Energy Policy 1991, 19:953-961.
72. Reddy B.S., Assenza G. Barriers and Drivers to Energy Efficiency-A new Taxonomical Approach Barriers and Drivers to Energy Efficiency 2007, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai (India).
73. Rohdin P., Thollander P. Barriers to and driving forces for energy efficiency in the non-energy intensive manufacturing industry in Sweden. Energy 2006, 31:1836-1844.
74. Rohdin P., Thollander P., Solding P. Barriers to and drivers for energy efficiency in the Swedish foundry industry. Energy Policy 2007, 35:672-677.
75. Russell B.H. Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology 1988, Sage Publication, Inc, Newbury Park, CA, USA.
76. Schiederig T., Tietze F., Herstatt C. Green innovation in technology and innovation management-an exploratory literature review. R&D Management 2012, 42:180-192.
77. Schleich J. Do energy audits help reduce barriers to energy efficiency? An empirical analysis for Germany. International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy 2004, 2:226-239.
78. Schleich J. Barriers to energy efficiency: a comparison across the German commercial and services sector. Ecological Economics 2009, 68:2150-2159.
79. Schleich J., Gruber E. Beyond case studies: barriers to energy efficiency in commerce and the services sector. Energy Economics 2008, 30:449-464.
80. Skumatz, L.A., Gardner, J., 2005. Methods and Results for Measuring Non-Energy Benefits in the Commercial and Industrial Sectors Introduction[U+202F]: NEBs as Omitted Effects. In: ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry: Cutting the High Cost of Energy. West Point, New York, pp. 163-176.
81. Sorrell S., Schleich Joachim, Scott S., Eoin O., Fergal T., Ulla B., Katrin O., Peter R. Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in public and private organisations. Mechanical Engineering. Brighton, UK 2000.
82. Sorrell S., Malley E.O., Schleich Joachim, Scott S. The economics of Energy Efficiency 2004, Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK.
83. Sorrell, S., Mallett, A., Nye, S., 2010. Barriers to Industrial Energy Efficiency[U+202F]: A Literature Review Background Study for the UNIDO Industrial Development Report (IDR) Industrial Energy Efficiency Pays, Why is it not Happening? Brighton, UK.
84. Stern P.C., Aronson E. Energy use: The Human Dimension 1984, W.H. Freeman, New York, NY, US.
85. Terziovski M. Research notes and commentaries innovation practice and its performance implications in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector[U+202F]: a resource-based view. Strategic Management Journal 2010, 902:892-902.
86. Thollander P., Ottosson M. An energy efficient Swedish pulp and paper industry-exploring barriers to and driving forces for cost-effective energy efficiency investments. Energy Efficiency 2008, 1:21-34.
87. Thollander P., Ottosson M. Energy management practices in Swedish energy-intensive industries. Journal of Cleaner Production 2010, 18:1125-1133.
88. Thollander P., Danestig M., Rohdin P. Energy policies for increased industrial energy efficiency: evaluation of a local energy programme for manufacturing SMEs. Energy Policy 2007, 35:5774-5783.
89. Trianni A., Cagno E. Dealing with barriers to energy efficiency and SMEs: some empirical evidences. Energy 2012, 37:494-504.
90. Trianni A., Cagno E., Thollander P., Backlund S. Barriers to industrial energy efficiency in foundries: a European comparison. Journal of Cleaner Production 2013, 40:161-176.
91. Trianni A., Cagno E., Worrell E., Pugliese G. Empirical investigation of energy efficiency barriers in Italian manufacturing SMEs. Energy 2013, 49:444-458.
92. Uhlaner L.M., Berent-Braun M.M., Jeurissen R.J.M., Wit G. Beyond Size: predicting engagement in environmental management practices of Dutch SMEs. Journal of Business Ethics 2011, 109:411-429.
93. United Nations Statistic division, 2012. International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC) rev. 4, Detailed structure and explanatory notes. URL (last access 11.19.12). http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regcst.asp?Cl=27.
94. Urpelainen J. Export orientation and domestic electricity generation: effects on energy efficiency innovation in select sectors. Energy Policy 2011, 39:5638-5646.
95. Velthuijsen J.W. Determinants of Investment in Energy Conservation 1995, 349. Foundation for Economic Research of the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (The Netherlands).
96. Vidil R., Marvillet C. The innovation process in the energy field. Energy 2005, 30:1233-1246.
97. Weber L. Some reflections on barriers to the efficient use of energy. Energy Policy 1997, 25:833-835.
98. Worrell E., Laitner J.A., Ruth M., Finman H. Productivity benefits of industrial energy efficiency measures. Energy 2003, 28:1081-1098.
99. Yin R.K. Case Study Research: Design and Methods 2003, Sage Publication, Inc, Thousand Oaks. third ed.,.
100. Zailani S., Jeyaraman K., Vengadasan G., Premkumar R. Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) in Malaysia: a survey. International Journal of Production Economics 2012, 140:330-340.