scholarly journals Ex-Ante Prediction of Disruptive Innovation: The Case of Battery Technologies

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5229
Author(s):  
Julian Marius Müller ◽  
Raphael Kunderer

Battery technologies represent a highly relevant field that is undergoing conversions in the context of, for instance, battery electric vehicles or stationary power storage for renewable energies. Currently, lithium-ion batteries represent the predominant technology that has, however, a considerable environmental impact that could hinder the emergence of sustainable energy systems. Driven by these conversions, several authors claim that potentially disruptive technologies could occur. The concept of disruptive innovation has been highly regarded in research and practice, but has only been successfully regarded from an ex-post perspective. However, without the possibility to establish ex-ante predictions of disruptive innovation, several authors disregard the concept of having significant relevance for practice. In response to this research gap, the present paper attempts to establish an ex-ante prediction of potential disruptive innovation. The method is based on the disruption hazard model by Sood and Tellis, testing seven hypotheses regarding a potential disruption hazard of redox-flow batteries towards lithium-ion batteries. The paper finds that redox-flow batteries could represent a disruptive technology, but this evaluation is limited to an expert evaluation. The authors discuss this finding, as the technical characteristics of redox-flow batteries support its role as a potential disruptive innovation, concluding with implications, limitations as well as suggestions for future research.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5726
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Wewer ◽  
Pinar Bilge ◽  
Franz Dietrich

Electromobility is a new approach to the reduction of CO2 emissions and the deceleration of global warming. Its environmental impacts are often compared to traditional mobility solutions based on gasoline or diesel engines. The comparison pertains mostly to the single life cycle of a battery. The impact of multiple life cycles remains an important, and yet unanswered, question. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate advances of 2nd life applications for lithium ion batteries from electric vehicles based on their energy demand. Therefore, it highlights the limitations of a conventional life cycle analysis (LCA) and presents a supplementary method of analysis by providing the design and results of a meta study on the environmental impact of lithium ion batteries. The study focuses on energy demand, and investigates its total impact for different cases considering 2nd life applications such as (C1) material recycling, (C2) repurposing and (C3) reuse. Required reprocessing methods such as remanufacturing of batteries lie at the basis of these 2nd life applications. Batteries are used in their 2nd lives for stationary energy storage (C2, repurpose) and electric vehicles (C3, reuse). The study results confirm that both of these 2nd life applications require less energy than the recycling of batteries at the end of their first life and the production of new batteries. The paper concludes by identifying future research areas in order to generate precise forecasts for 2nd life applications and their industrial dissemination.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002085232110317
Author(s):  
Tobias Polzer ◽  
Isabella M Nolte ◽  
Johann Seiwald

Gender budgeting calls for including a gender perspective at all levels of governmental budgetary processes. While the literature on gender budgeting is interdisciplinary and covers a wide geographical range, it remains fragmented. This study uses a literature review to examine the current discourse on gender budgeting and to elicit avenues for future research. Our review shows that studies focus either on emerging economies, such as India or South Africa, or on countries in Europe. Drawing on an analytical framework, we find that most studies scrutinize the ex ante stages of gender budgeting, whereas less is known about the concurrent and ex post stages. Moreover, because little is known about the outcome and impact of gender budgeting, governments do not know what instruments function best in different settings. Given their ex ante focus, most studies on gender budgeting often either remain descriptive or analyse secondary data. Despite scholars from different disciplines contributing to the field of gender budgeting, several ‘blank spots’ remain, particularly in public sector accounting. Points for practitioners While current gender budgeting projects tend to focus on the ex ante stage of gender budgeting, future practitioner attention needs to focus on the equally important concurrent and ex post stages, which have received less attention thus far. An increasing number of governments worldwide are implementing gender budgeting projects. Governments need to evaluate the outcome and impact of these projects in a timely fashion, aiming at reducing structural inequalities related to gender. Gender budgeting is willingly adopted in times of prosperity and stability or when the scope of projects appears manageable. To avoid negative impacts on their achievements, policy makers need to put gender budgeting on the political agenda and institutionalize it in times of instability and crisis.


Author(s):  
Arash Najmaei

Today’s world of business is increasingly witnessing exemplary firms which introduce new business models, exploit new markets and disrupt established firms in order to create a unique competitive position. Although the theoretical and conceptual posture of this phenomenon is well grounded and explained in the extant literature on disruptive innovation, little is known about strategic logic of this phenomenon. In other words, the managerial paradigm or cognitive and mental model that underlies the orchestration of micro- and macro-organizational mechanisms of a disruptive move, such as market and technological knowledge, have surprisingly received little attention. In this sense, an analytical review of literature suggests that strategic logic of a disruptive technology can be well presented through the lens of business model (BM) and its innovation. Accordingly, it is argued that business model represents a mental model which underlines activities such as acquisition of market and technological insights, opportunities and requisite actions required for transforming a disruptive idea into a disruptive market movement. This view offers new insights into the study of disruptive phenomenon. It addresses the managerial (i.e. mental model) underpinnings of disruptiveness, instead of market, economical and technological dimensions. Business model innovation (BMI) is a disruptive change in the core logic of value creation and capture. It is a value-revolutionizing framework which explicitly delineates the strategic processes of a disruptive strategy. Thus, it is essentially a paradigm for strategizing the craft of disruptive innovation (technology). Given this view, this chapter conceptually explicates this contour and shows how BMI effectuates a disruptive technological phenomenon by presenting four propositions. Finally theoretical and managerial implications of this view are illuminated in order to furthering the practice and enhancing future research in this growing field of inquiry.


ChemSusChem ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2142-2159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thuan‐Nguyen Pham‐Truong ◽  
Qing Wang ◽  
Jalal Ghilane ◽  
Hyacinthe Randriamahazaka

Batteries ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Dai ◽  
Jarod C. Kelly ◽  
Linda Gaines ◽  
Michael Wang

In light of the increasing penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) in the global vehicle market, understanding the environmental impacts of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) that characterize the EVs is key to sustainable EV deployment. This study analyzes the cradle-to-gate total energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, SOx, NOx, PM10 emissions, and water consumption associated with current industrial production of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) batteries, with the battery life cycle analysis (LCA) module in the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model, which was recently updated with primary data collected from large-scale commercial battery material producers and automotive LIB manufacturers. The results show that active cathode material, aluminum, and energy use for cell production are the major contributors to the energy and environmental impacts of NMC batteries. However, this study also notes that the impacts could change significantly, depending on where in the world the battery is produced, and where the materials are sourced. In an effort to harmonize existing LCAs of automotive LIBs and guide future research, this study also lays out differences in life cycle inventories (LCIs) for key battery materials among existing LIB LCA studies, and identifies knowledge gaps.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudheer Chava ◽  
Shunlan Fang ◽  
Praveen Kumar ◽  
Saumya Prabhat

We review the recent theoretical and empirical literature on debt covenants with a particular focus on how creditor governance after covenant violations can influence the borrower's corporate policies. From the theoretical literature, we identify the key trade-offs that help explain the observed heterogeneity in covenant types, inclusion, likelihood of violation, and postviolation renegotiation flexibility. Empirically, we first review the literature that deals with ex ante evidence on covenant design and the various factors that influence covenant design; we next review the ex post evidence on the impact of technical covenant violations on the borrower. We then discuss limitations of the existing theoretical and empirical studies and conclude with some directions for future research in this burgeoning area.


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