A Status Market Approach to the Electric Vehicles Market
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
This project will:
- Produce a typology of Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) associated with the Electric Vehicles sector;
- Describe downstream networks amongst EVs producers, consumers and KIBS;
- Identify marketing strategies involving individualised consumers and the concept of authenticity;
- Trace innovations in the EVs sector rooted in both upstream and downstream knowledge - including that implicit or implanted in consumers;
- Make observations/recommendations regarding status market based innovation policy.
IMPACT STATEMENT
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are being promoted for their potential for reducing CO2 emissions, local air pollution, and dependence on oil imports. However, their uptake has remained slow despite heavy investment in upstream technologies and production, and a raft of economic incentives to potential consumers. This research will consider the interdependency between manufacturing and services in the context of the interactions between networks of producers, business services and consumers. In doing so, it will enable us to assess how different approaches to consumers can help to develop the EVs market.
We anticipate industry and policy-relevant conclusions in two areas:
- Knowledge-based economy: how to treat consumers as loci of knowledge in their own right, appreciating the value of symbolic and metaphor-based knowledge in economic development;
- Industrial policy: how policy support can influence and improve downstream interactions and the development of markets, thus complementing existing upstream support for product improvement through science and technology.
