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Knowledge path dependence in energy innovation: the role of spillovers and green absorptive capacity in renewable and non-renewable technology diffusion

Daniel Coronado et al.

Eurasian Business Review2026https://doi.org/10.1007/s40821-025-00331-9article
AJG 2ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

The innovation and diffusion of renewable energy technologies are critical to advancing the energy transition. This study investigates how knowledge acquisition through spillovers from renewable and non-renewable patented technologies affects the subsequent diffusion of these technologies. Using a dataset comprising 12,966 renewable energy patent families and 24,067 non-renewable (fossil fuel-based) patents owned by firms between 1990 and 2010, we analyse backward citations as indicators of knowledge spillovers and forward citations to trace knowledge diffusion. We classify spillovers into three types: clean spillovers, dirty spillovers, and external spillovers (originating from non-energy fields). Our results show that, for renewable technologies, clean spillovers have a positive and significant effect on diffusion, while dirty spillovers hinder it, indicating a clean knowledge path dependence. In contrast, for non-renewable technologies, dirty spillovers significantly promote diffusion toward other non-renewable technologies, confirming a dirty knowledge path dependence. Green absorptive capacity does not moderate spillovers in the case of renewables, but it does reduce the influence of non-renewable spillovers on the diffusion of dirty technologies. These findings have important implications for innovation policy and knowledge transfer mechanisms aimed at accelerating the energy transition.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s40821-025-00331-9

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@article{daniel2026,
  title        = {{Knowledge path dependence in energy innovation: the role of spillovers and green absorptive capacity in renewable and non-renewable technology diffusion}},
  author       = {Daniel Coronado et al.},
  journal      = {Eurasian Business Review},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s40821-025-00331-9},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.