China National Innovation System in Energy Sector: The Case Study on CCS

Abstract

This paper makes a case study on China national innovation system of CCS under the framework of technology system theory. The analysis focus on two aspects of CCS technology system: the first one is the actors of CCS technology and the function of each actor in sub-system of searching, choosing and implement; the second one is learning process and knowledge creation. The innovation of CCS in China is supported by the investment on R&D from government, which is used for development and application of CCS technology. There is a whole support system for energy technology research, among them, the most important system are the planning for primary laboratories and research-based platform construction. It is these labs to become the based units for energy technologies innovation and new knowledge creation. China's universities and research institutions have close cooperation with industry to resolve technology problem in the product process, so the research objectives are expected very clear. The cooperation between research institutions are mainly joint applications for research on particular issues and undertake demonstration projects, the results obtained can be shared in the research institutions, thus accelerating the spread of knowledge dissemination. Cooperation between enterprises focus on the solution of common technical issues, such cooperation is more to accelerate the promotion of new technology. Despite the national innovation system has strong driving force and clear research objectives, but the shortage of basic research is a obstacle for sustainable innovation, so many Chinese universities make international cooperation in access to receive external knowledge, and thus compensate for their lack of basic research flaws. The more prominent are the organizations, the more likely is co-operation with foreign countries. These institutions become an important source of the introduction of external knowledge.