Radical innovations in freight transportation: A comparative analysis of success factors for innovation processes in France and Germany

Kurzfassung

Innovations are an important factor of economic and social evolution. The importance of radical innovations for economic development is underlined by a long tradition of researchers such as Van Gelderen / De Wolff, Kondratieff, Schumpeter, Mensch and Geels. In the EU, innovations are on the political agenda to transform the current transport system into a sustainable transport system. However, how to favor non-incremental (radical) innovations and solutions for a sustainable transportation system? We aim in this paper to contribute to the discussion on how national factors influence radical innovation process’ performance in freight transportation. The project RADINNOV (Radical Innovations in Freight Transportation), based on the comparison between the French and German innovation process for freight transportation, was the framework for our research question. We analyze the national factors at three levels: the micro-level, considering the different firms’ individual behavior, the meso-level, highlighting the structural conditions within the innovation eco-system, and the macro-level, involving aspects of the innovation infrastructure and the political incentives. Based on the theory of the National Innovative Capacity (NIC), we developed a questionnaire to conduct intensive interviews with inventors of radical ideas in the domain of goods transportation. The survey took place in the countries France and Germany, where 5 resp. 7 inventors could be gained for the interviewswe interviewed 5 and 7 inventors respectively. The Ffindings of the interviews are analyzed, compared and discussed in this paper. As a result, we highlight the interactions between the 3 levels of the national factors. The structural conditions and the cultural- based behavior in France and in Germany are different and are important issues which strongly influence the innovation process. For radical innovation processes, the original NIC elements of the macro level are most important. Less influence is given onmade by micro- and meso-level NIC factors. The great most influentialcing NIC factors are: 1. Hhow supporting political programs are constructed and available for inventors, 2. Hhow political institutions interact with inventors to favor the innovation (quality of linkages), 3. Sccope of regulations: opened to test/ deploy the innovation or not, 4. the Aaccess to capital and 5. Tthe national landscape of available companies (SMEs, technical orientation). Beside the identified NIC factors which are relevant for radical innovation processes, we found three new aspects which are not yet covered as factors by the original NIC theory as factors yet. These are: 1. Power games and backdoor activities by the established industry to hinder the new competitors’ entryance into the market of new competitors, 2. Actors and institutions’ the cultural background and self-understanding of the actors and institutions and 3. Inventors’ the managementing skills of the inventors. The comparison of inventors’ experiences of inventors in France and Germany identified common promotive and hindering factors and put the stress on new factors that are nation- specific and decisive for successful radical innovation processes.