Technology development in Ontario's environmental technology industry: Towards a model of the environmental regulation-innovation relationship.

摘要

The environmental technology industry is targeted under the strategic industrial development plans of both the federal and provincial governments in Canada. The promotion of this industry is driven by the belief that environmental regulations can contribute to industrial development by creating new industries dedicated to the development and manufacture of environmental compliance technologies. Although this view is common in some academic and policy circles, the reality is that there is little empirical or case study analysis to support (or dispute) this hypothesis. In contrast, the evidence that does exist tends to focus on the behaviour of regulated firms while failing to evaluate the performance of environmental technology suppliers.; Responding to this shortfall, this dissertation examines the relationship between environmental regulation and the firms who develop and manufacture of environmental technology. A model of the environmental regulation-innovation relationship is developed, and this is tested empirically thorough a survey of the manufacturers of water and wastewater technology in Ontario.; The research findings indicate that environmental regulations act to stimulate the development of environmental technology. However, the regulatory stimulus is channeled through firms subject to the regulation rather than directly to the water and wastewater technology firms. The innovation strategies of the technology producers are more directly influenced by the regulatory needs of their customers, as a result, the impact of environmental regulations are mediated by user requirements.; The analysis also indicates that the water and wastewater technology firms have successfully established a collaborative relationship with their customers. This collaboration occurs irrespective of the type of technology the firms are developing, the size of the firms, or the firm's ownership. In addition, this relationship does not vary according to the type of environmental regulation that is in force. Overall, this dissertation demonstrates that the relationship between environmental regulation and technology development can only be understood with reference to the innovation process that underpins the actions of the technology producers.