Filtern
Dokumenttyp
Sprache
- Englisch (23)
- Mehrsprachig (2)
Schlagworte
- Digitalization (20)
- Conformity assessment (19)
- COVID-19 (18)
- Certification (18)
- Conformity assessment body (18)
- Laboratory (18)
- Quality infrastructure (18)
- Digital transformation (17)
- Testing (17)
- Calibration (16)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
The Impact of Publications, Patents, and Standards on International Trade - The Case of Hydrogen
(2022)
Hydrogen as a clean energy carrier has received increased attention due to climate change and the need to introduce new, low-emissions technologies to the market. However, the drivers of increased hydrogen use have been barely explored. Therefore, this research paper investigates the impacts of publications, patents, and standards on international hydrogen trade, an established technology diffusion channel. In a fixed-effects (FE) regression model covering 37 countries between 1995 and 2020, we demonstrate that publications, patents, and standards are associated with increased levels of hydrogen exports and imports. Furthermore, we test the technology gap theory and explore the meaning of our empirical results for the hydrogen technological innovation system (TIS). Among others, we show that publications, patents, and standards can contribute to a more developed hydrogen TIS.
Global supply chains rely on the compliance and safety of their products, processes, and facilities. These vital services (often referred to as ‘quality assurance’ or ‘conformity assessment’ services) are provided by Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs). This empirical study explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CABs as well as their response to the resulting challenges. Data was gathered through an online survey among all accredited CABs in Germany, which resulted in 555 valid responses. Taking a resilience perspective, we reveal that CABs were hit hard by the disruptions caused by the pandemic, albeit to different degrees, in part due to their type of services, size, and sectors served. Furthermore, we find that contingency plans do not directly cushion order declines (as the main indicator of the economic impact of the pandemic) but rather indirectly through helping CABs respond more quickly, which in turn mitigates their order declines. However, our results show that contingency plans can also have adverse effects if they hinder flexible reaction to the crisis. The findings of our study help managers and policymakers learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and improve the resilience of the conformity assessment sector and quality assurance in the event of future crises.
Clean technologies play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the climate. Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier and fuel that can be used in many applications. We explore the global hydrogen technological innovation system (TIS) by analyzing the three knowledge and technology transfer channels of publications, patents, and standards. Since the adoption of hydrogen technologies requires trust in their safety,this study specifically also focuses on hydrogen safety. Our results show that general and hydrogen safety research has increased significantly while patenting experienced stagnation. An analysis of the non-patent literature in safety patents shows little recognition of scientific publications. Similarly, publications are underrepresented in the analyzed 75 international hydrogen and fuel cell standards. This limited transfer of knowledge from published research to standards points to the necessity for greater involvement of researchers in standardization. We further derive implications for the hydrogen TIS and recommendations for a better and more impactful alignment of the three transfer channels.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Conformity Assessment: Insights from a Multinational Study
(2021)
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed new and manifold challenges to organizations and their operations worldwide. Conformity assessment bodies (CABs), such as testing or medical laboratories, certification, and inspection bodies, are also affected by the associated disruptions. Their situation in this crisis is highly relevant, as CABs are essential pillars of the quality infrastructure: Their activities ensure that products and services meet requirements as defined in standards and regulations, thereby contributing to their safety and reliability. Considering the roles and functions of CABs in economy, health, and innovation, the question arises how CABs and their operations were affected by the pandemic and how they responded. To this end, we present the results of an international survey of 986 CABs of all types in Germany, the UK, Italy, and New Zealand. Overall, CABs reported on average a negative development of demand during the pandemic, facing restrictions in all countries. In addition, the pandemic had overall negative impact on the CABs’ investment and innovation activities. However, investments in digital infrastructure were increased as countermeasure, with CABs reporting an increased need for digitalization. Resources relevant to organizational resilience were available to different extents, affecting the speed of response to the challenges of the pandemic. The paper highlights and discusses results from in-depth analyses, which are relevant for policy makers and industry alike.
Climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions pose tremendous challenges to policymakers, the economy, and society. In this context, the development of clean, low-emission technologies plays a crucial role in mitigating the negative impact of fossil fuels on the climate. Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier and fuel that, thanks to its versatility, can be used in many applications. However, the adoption of hydrogen technology requires sufficient trust in its safety. To proxy the development of hydrogen safety innovations, we provide an analysis along the three knowledge and technology transfer channels of publications, patents, and standards. Our results show that research on hydrogen safety has increased significantly in the last decades, with hydrogen safety patents experiencing a general upward trend between 1980 and 2020, just recently decreasing. However, an analysis of almost 100 international hydrogen and fuel cell standards shows only a small number of references to scientific publications. This apparently limited transfer of knowledge from publications points to the need to optimize the coordination of the three knowledge and technology transfer channels for the future development of hydrogen technology. Based on the exploration of this gap, we recommend that research on the three channels for hydrogen be intensified and that the impact of hydrogen safety technology research and development on their diffusion be investigated.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed new and manifold challenges to organizations and their operations worldwide. Conformity assessment bodies (CABs), such as testing or medical laboratories, certification, and inspection bodies, were also affected by the associated disruptions. Their role in this crisis is highly relevant, as CABs are essential pillars of the quality infrastructure: their activities ensure that products and services meet requirements as defined in standards and regulations, thereby contributing to their safety and reliability. The question arises of how CABs and their operations were affected by the pandemic and how they responded. To this end, we present the results of an international survey of 986 CABs of all types in Germany, the UK, Italy, and New Zealand. Overall, CABs reported, on average, a reduction in demand for their services during the pandemic, facing restrictions in all countries. In addition, the pandemic had an overall negative impact on the CABs’ investment and innovation activities. However, investments in digital infrastructure were increased as a countermeasure, with CABs reporting a higher need for digitalization. The paper highlights and discusses results from in-depth analyses relevant to policymakers and industry alike.
This report summarizes findings from the first comprehensive study on digitalization in conformity assessment in Mexico. The reults are based on data from a survey among conformity assessment bodies (CABs) conducted in 2022. It highlights the digital maturity of the organizations, the motives, benefits and obstacles of digital transformation as well as the actual technology trends.
This study is part of a global project that covers various other countries (see www.qi-fokus.de).
This report summarizes findings from the first comprehensive study on digitalization in conformity assessment in the United Kingdom. The reults are based on data from a survey among conformity assessment bodies (CABs) conducted in 2022. It highlights the digital maturity of the organizations, the motives, benefits and obstacles of digital transformation as well as the actual technology trends.
This study is part of a global project that covers various other countries (see www.qi-fokus.de).
This report summarizes findings from the first comprehensive study on digitalization in conformity assessment in Croatia. The reults are based on data from a survey among conformity assessment bodies (CABs) conducted in 2022. It highlights the digital maturity of the organizations, the motives, benefits and obstacles of digital transformation as well as the actual technology trends.
This study is part of a global project that covers various other countries (see www.qi-fokus.de).
This report summarizes findings from the first comprehensive study on digitalization in conformity assessment in West Africa. The reults are based on data from a survey among conformity assessment bodies (CABs) conducted in 2022. It highlights the digital maturity of the organizations, the motives, benefits and obstacles of digital transformation as well as the actual technology trends.
This study is part of a global project that covers various other countries (see www.qi-fokus.de).