The Value Migration and Innovative Capacity of Taiwan's Photovoltaic Industry

Abstract

To alleviate global climate changes, solar energy has become an emerging industry in both developed and developing countries. This article utilizes value chain and value migration theory to analyze the trend of Taiwan's photovoltaic (PV) industry. Allowing for an integrated innovation sheds new light on the strategy of PV industrial development. We find that a vertically integrated supply chain can promote higher scale efficiency and obtain global competitive advantages. We also perform a comparative study of the material and module model to examine innovation. In particular, we find that Taiwan's innovative power comes from four sources: material innovation, technical innovation, application innovation, and financial innovation. Government authorities should establish cooperative mechanisms with China and encourage industry reinvestment to improve developments in the PV industry in the future.