The evolutionary patterns and dynamics of technological convergence: the case of printed electronics

Abstract

A recent comparative study on the technological convergence and technology fusion was also conducted from industrial perspective. In a similar context, convergence between disparate technologies has become an important issue in technological innovation through strategic alliances and inter-firm networking between different industries or companies. However, despite the increasing interest in technology convergence which requires interdisciplinary approach in the development of technology, relatively little research has been done investigating the patterns and mechanism of technology convergence resulting in insufficient information on various facets of the technological convergence phenomenon. To overcome the limitations of previous studies and to understand technology convergence more fundamentally, I examine the case of printed electronics technology using various analysis and identify the dynamic patterns of technological convergence development. The main research question of this study is very simple: “How to technologies converge, and what kind of characteristics do the key technologies and players exhibit in the course of convergence?” This questions is also highly relevant for those who are engaged in strategy formulation at corporations pursuing technological convergence as well as those who legislate policies at the national level. In this study, I observed and analyzed technological convergence from a variety of angles to address the question of “How did technologies converge, and what kind of characteristics do key technologies and players exhibit during the course of convergence?” The results of this study will provide the following few critical policy implications: First, when technologies converge, in most cases there is technological disequilibrium between two technologies that are converging. Because of this characteristic, the most important factor is to have a high level of tunability, which refers to the ability to control or adjust amongst t...