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Technological capabilities, invisible infrastructure and the un-social construction of predictability: the overlooked fixed costs of useful research

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 21:58 authored by Paul NightingalePaul Nightingale
The paper explores the idea that unpredictability is a much more pervasive and important feature of technical change than is traditionally supposed. It explains how economically important interactions between scientific explanations and technology require the construction of very specific, artificially predictable conditions where explanations implications match technologies behaviour. The iterative construction of these localised predictable conditions from unpredictable starting materials relies on, generates, and is made easier by reusable social and physical infrastructure. The paper develops a non-tautological model of technological capabilities and provides a novel explanation for a range of empirical findings. Theoretical and policy implications are reported.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Research Policy

ISSN

0048-7333

Publisher

Elsevier

Issue

9

Volume

33

Page range

1259-1284

Pages

26.0

Department affiliated with

  • SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit Publications

Notes

This paper steers between the crude `linear model of science leading to technology and the almost equally crude social shaping of technology model to argue for `moderate unpredictability as counteracting the simple transfer of science into technology systems. An outcome is to shed new light through redefining the nature of `technological capabilities, adding to SPRUs contribution to this field of analysis.

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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