This conference, organized by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Tsinghua University, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and the German Development Institute (die), is the final conference from the international research project "Technological trajectories for low carbon development in China, Europe and India", generously funded by the Swedish Riksbankens Jubileumsfond under a joint call with Volkswagen Foundation and Compagnia de San Paolo.
The project was jointly carried out by a team of 15 researchers from the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Brighton, Indian Institute of Technology ( IIT) Delhi and the School of Public Policy at Tsinghua University between 2011 and 2014. On the basis of case studies on electromobility and wind turbine technologies, the project explored (a) to what extent different initial conditions lead to diverging technological pathways, (b) how this affects global competition and (c) how international low carbon technology cooperation can navigate the trade-offs between national and global interests.
7 April, 2014
9.00 Welcoming remarks:
Pathways to low carbon: the technological challenge
Prof. Dr. Dirk Messner, Director, DIE
9.15 Introduction to the conference:
The ‘Technological pathways to low carbon’ research agenda
Dr. Tilman Altenburg, Head of Department, DIE
I. Concepts
9.30 Creating and disrupting technological pathways for a low carbon transformation
Prof. Dr. Arnulf Grübler, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and Yale University
Discussion
10.10 Low carbon transformation from the angle of political strategy
Dr. Matthew Lockwood, University of Exeter
Discussion
10.50 Transnational linkages in Asian sustainability experiments
Dr. Rob Raven, University of Technology Eindhoven
Discussion
11.30 Coffee break
12.00 Old Europe, emerging Asia: Low carbon innovation in an unequal world
Prof. Dr. Hubert Schmitz, IDS Sussex
Comment: A Chinese viewpoint
Dr. Yixin Dai, Assistant Professor, Tsinghua University
12.40 Discussion
13.00 Lunch break
II. Diverging or converging pathways, implications for national competitive advantages? Technological pathways in electromobility and wind turbine industries
This part of the conference presents key findings of our country studies, draws lessons from comparison, and then invites external experts from academia and industry to comment on our findings and offer insights from related research activities.
Parallel working groups
Electromobility
Project findings
14.00 Lessons from China
Dr. Chen Ling, Ass. Prof. and Dr. Qunhong Shen, Ass. Prof., Tsinghua University
14.20 Lessons from India
Ankur Chaudhary, Researcher Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
14.40 Lessons from France and Germany
Dr. Tilman Altenburg, DIE and Prof. Dr. Eike Schamp, Frankfurt University of Frankfurt
15.00 Lessons from the comparison of four countries
Prof. Dr. Doris Fischer, University of Würzburg
15.20 Discussion
Wind turbine industry
Project findings
14.00 Key lessons from China
Dr. Yixin Dai, Ass. Prof., Dr. Yuan Zhou, Ass. Prof., Tsinghua University
14.20 Key lessons from India
Ankita Narain, Researcher, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
14.40 Key lessons from Denmark and Germany
Dr. Rasmus Lema, Ass. Prof, Aalborg, University, and Dr. Frauke Urban, SOAS, University of London
15.00 Lessons from the comparison of four countries
Dr. Rasmus Lema, Ass. Prof., Aalborg University
15.20 Discussion
16.00 Coffee break
Comments from external experts
16.30 Prof. Dr. David Tyfield Lancaster University
16.50 Prof. Dr. Bernard Jullien, École normale supérieure de Cachan and director of GERPISA1
7.10 Prof. Dr. Henning Hinderer and Prof. Dr. Guy Fournier University of Applied Sciences Pforzheim
17.30 Discussion
Comments from external experts
16.30 Prof. Poul Houman Andersen, Aalborg University
16.50 Prof. Dr. Rainer Walz, Fraunhofer ISI
17.10 Discussion
18.30 Drinks in the foyer
8 April, 2014
9.00 Assessing China's role in low carbon technology collaboration and competition
Prof. Dr. Xue Lan, Dean, School of Public Policy, Tsinghua University
Comment: Prof. Dr. Doris Fischer, Uni Würzburg
9.40 Discussion
10.00 Assessing technological trajectories from a low carbon perspective: Prospects and challenges
Prof. Dr. Ambuj Sagar, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
Comment: Prof. Dr. Peter Hennicke, Wuppertal Institute
10.40 Discussion
11.00 Coffee break
III. Policy implications: Supporting technology cooperation in contested markets
This part of the conference presents important bilateral and multilateral experiences in low carbon technology cooperation and discusses general lessons for low carbon technology cooperation. The main emphasis is on practical ways to balance each nation’s interest in developing competitive advantages with the need for rapid global deployment of low carbons solutions.
11.30 Supporting international technology cooperation in contested markets
Dr. Tilman Altenburg, DIE / Shikha Bhasin, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
12.00 Bilateral cooperation: Balancing national and global interests in electromobility cooperation programmes
Christian Hochfeld, Sino-German Sustainable Mobility Programme
12.30 Lunch break
Balancing national and global interests: Opportunities and limitations of technology cooperation -Parallel working groups
14.00 Bilateral technology cooperation
Markus Becker, German Fed. Ministry for the Environment, Nature Con-servation, Building & Nuclear Safety
Dr. Michael Köberlein, German Fed. Ministry of Economic Cooperation & Development
Julia Crause, KfW and German Climate Technology Initiative DKTI
Armin Wagner, GIZ, Senior transport advisor
Chair: Prof. Doris Fischer, University of Würzburg
14.00 Multilateral technology cooperation
Tali Trigg, International Energy Agency, Energy Technology Policy Division
Dolf Gielen, Director, IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre
Dr. Uwe Weber, Team Leader, EU SWITCHAsia Network Facility
Matthew Kennedy, UNFCCC Technology Executive Committee
Chair: Prof. Dr. Ambuj Sagar, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
16.00 Perspectives for international technology cooperation – a summary
Prof. Dr. Doris Fischer & Prof. Dr. Ambuj Sagar
Discussion
16.30 End of conference