Understanding the dynamic nature of technological change using trajectory identification based on patent citation network in the Electric Vehicles industry

Since the 1990s, Electric Vehicles (EV) have experienced a significant rate of growth marked by a continuing period of significant technological change. It is argued that technological changes have been taking place along ordered and selective patterns in the potential paradigmatic shift of EV evolution. A patent based method is employed in this research to observe the technology evolution and to identify the dynamic changes of technological trajectories by applying network-based methodologies to patents and patent citation. Compared with the previous literature on technological trajectory research, which conducted a historical descriptive analysis alone or considered the technology development process as a whole without dividing different phases to identify the dynamic technological trajectory, this paper highlights the dynamic nature of technological evolution in the development process and improves the accuracy of analysis of the key technological trajectories. Together with the empirical study on the technology evolution of EV, this paper not only proposes a dynamic identification method of technological trajectory, but also describes the process of technology changes in detail. In addition, this approach helps to position the development path of an object technology and thus is utilized in designing the R&D strategy for the enterprises, countries and regions.