@article{c09ca72215a2483fb061f0aa0c9efb4a,
title = "Drivers of technology adoption - the case of nanomaterials in building construction",
abstract = "With the building and construction sector contributing significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, there is great demand for resource- and energy-efficient construction materials. Manufactured nanotechnology products (MNPs) are expected to realize resource and energy efficiency through performance improvements in the strength, lightness and insulating properties of construction materials. However, the actual adoption of MNPs has lagged. This article examines how the construction sector in the United States assesses MNPs for adoption. Through patent analysis and interviews, we gauge the supply of MNPs and identify actors' roles in technology adoption. Results indicate that awareness of MNPs is more extensive than anticipated. Yet, MNP adoption is limited by a multi-component technology assessment process focused primarily on the technology's applicability to project-based outcomes. We conclude that barriers to MNP adoption can be overcome through intermediary activities such as product certification, comprehensive technology assessments, and {"}real-world{"} demonstrations.",
keywords = "Adoption, Building construction, Diffusion, Nanomaterials, Nanotechnology",
author = "Arora, {Sanjay K.} and Foley, {Rider W.} and Jan Youtie and Philip Shapira and Arnim Wiek",
note = "Funding Information: This paper is based upon work primarily supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under NSF award # 0937591 . Philip Shapira additionally acknowledges support from the Project on Sustaining Growth for Innovative New Enterprises ( Economic and Social Research Council , ES/J008303 ). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the Economic and Social Research Council. The authors wish to thank Evan Taylor and Tia Wallace for research assistance and Xiaojing Sun for her helpful comments. Funding Information: Second, established programs, such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, reach private entrepreneurs through US agency funding (e.g. links between the National Nanotechnology Initiative and the Department of Energy) to encourage the development of product innovations with public sector uses. Here, we offer a service-based analogy for the construction sector. Consider an applied research project with funds from NNI, which are dispersed by the Department of Energy through an SBIR Phase II award. The call for proposal might direct small firms to submit a novel design to construct a prototype wall section that demonstrates the best electricity generation and storage, maintains the highest R-value, exhibits the highest load, and offers the most lighting to an interior space. The grant could be awarded based on a multi-criteria assessment, and additional resources (e.g. from a university) could be funded to help measure technical proficiency and evaluate EHS risks. Once awarded, the grantee would build their proposed wall section at a DOE testing facility to demonstrate the multiplicative advantages offered by converging novel MNPs. Technology assessments that report performance indicators and cost data on prototypes would then offer a baseline for industry groups and public sector buyers. ",
year = "2014",
month = sep,
doi = "10.1016/j.techfore.2013.12.017",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "87",
pages = "232--244",
journal = "Technological Forecasting and Social Change",
issn = "0040-1625",
publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",
}