Innovation diplomacy caught between the two opposing logics of cooperation and competition: Case study on EU-China S&T cooperation in the field of solar PV. EL-CSID Working Paper Issue 2018/15 • April 2018

Gehrt, Daniel (2018) Innovation diplomacy caught between the two opposing logics of cooperation and competition: Case study on EU-China S&T cooperation in the field of solar PV. EL-CSID Working Paper Issue 2018/15 • April 2018. [Working Paper]

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to test this question on the basis of a highly interesting illustrative case. It concerns the domain of the solar photovoltaics (solar PV) and the competition between the EU and China in this field. In fact, the decline of the European solar PV industry and the role of China in this context is quite a dramatic episode of recent economic history. Europe being in a leading position up until the late 2000s, China suddenly managed to not only overtake Europe as global leader but to effectively destroy large parts of the European industry with an overabundance of PV products being sold at prices with which European producers could simply not compete. All of this happened roughly between 2008 and 2012, i.e. within a time span of less than five years. Anti-dumping measures put in place by the EU have only resulted in counter-measures by China and have overall not helped redress European solar PV industry.

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