Executive summary

The transition towards a green economy has become both a need and a reality

in most parts of the world. This implies accelerated diffusion of manifold

green technologies, which in turn opens up opportunities for domestic value

creation in terms of learning, localisation of supply chains and employment. An

important, but largely neglected, pre-condition for the effective development

and diffusion of green technologies and gains in competitiveness is the

presence of well-functioning national quality infrastructure (NQI) systems.

Quality infrastructure (QI) comprises standards, conformity assessment

(that is, inspection, testing and certification), metrology, accreditation and in

specific areas, technical regulation. QI is necessary for securing access to new

markets, improving competitiveness and productivity, enabling innovation

and ensuring environmental and consumer protection. Building up relevant

NQI capabilities early on in the transition to a green economy is, therefore,

decisive for effectively using, adapting and innovating technologies.

This study contributes to closing an important dual research gap by exploring

(a) which green technologies are diffusing at what pace in developing

countries and (b) what QI investments are needed to support and benefit

from this green transition. We distinguish between emerging economies

and developing countries, exploring expected trends in the innovation

and diffusion of green technologies within this decade (by 2030). We use

a combination of methods and data sources (patent data analysis, Delphi

surveys, in-depth interviews and qualitative needs assessment in three

country case studies) to explore the following research questions:

• Which families of green technologies have seen faster rates of innovation

in the past decades as measured by patent data? How has innovation in

green technologies been “distributed” across countries?

• Which families of green technologies are likely to see faster rates of

deployment in the next ten years in emerging and developing countries?

How technologically demanding are these technologies and to what extent

will we see trends towards domestic value creation and technological

learning in developing and emerging countries? Given these trends, what

can be done with respect to QI investments to support the deployment

and use of green technologies in developing and emerging economies?

• What are the existing gaps in terms of QI capabilities in specific

developing and emerging countries (India, Morocco and Ethiopia) and

what policy interventions would be necessary to build up the needed

QI to facilitate the transition to a green economy? What lessons can

be derived for national policy makers and for national QI institutions

and their international partners, such as Germany’s National Metrology

Institute (PTB), to enable the transition towards a green economy?