High-temperature superconductivity: the emerging industry

Abstract

The main focus of this research is the interpretation and comparison of some empirical and theoretical models of industry development and technological change against the evolution and technological development trajectories in the emergent High-Temperature Superconductivity industry. Three models, the linear model of innovation, the non-linear model of industry development and technological change, the evolutionary models and its subsets of technological paradigm and development trajectories were used as the interpretative base. The industries used for comparative modelling and interpretative analyses were the Semiconductor and Low-Temperature Superconductor industries, respectively. Though limited in number, previous studies indicated some unorthodox behaviour in the High-Temperature Superconductivity industry and gaps in understanding the dimensions of the drivers of this behaviour. Furthermore, these studies lead to a diverse range of findings and questionable understanding of industry performance and the validity of the empirical and theoretical models as predictors of technological change. This research follows and builds on the preliminary findings in an attempt to seek a better understanding of its nature and dynamics. The results indicate that these models appear to remain a sufficient management tool for the explanation and description of the key features that influenced the Semiconductor and the Low-Temperature Superconductor industries technological development trajectories and the subsequent shaping of the market environments in which these industries operate. However, with the High-Temperature Superconductivity industry and its anomalous development trajectories, the comparative analysis indicates that the aforementioned models, while useful in some areas, do not seem to provide an entirely satisfactory explanation of the industry's current nature or dynamics.