European Corporate Actors Amidst Geoeconomic Rivalry: Exploring Options in Renewable Energy Technologies

Samenvatting

The proposed Green Deal Industrial Plan, complemented by the Net-Zero Industry Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act, represents the European Union’s response to the American Inflation Reduction Act and China’s dominance of clean energy technology markets. Reacting to them, some European companies in the field of renewable energy technologies advocate for more protection of the European economy to build domestic green supply chains, while others beware of closing business opportunities in and to foreign markets. This thesis studies when companies’ alignment or misalignment with such measures, which it defines as geoeconomic, occur by postulating two explanatory variables, namely, geopolitical perceptions and policy input, as the determinant of corporate strategies. Accordingly, it triangulates among surveys, semi-structured qualitative interviews, and desk research to collect and analyze data. By advancing an original theoretical framework integrating Geoeconomics and Multi-Level Governance theories, this thesis expands the analytical potential of geoeconomic theory and its applications in studying the European Union’s geoeconomics. Further, it generates findings relevant to renewable energy technologies policymaking in a context where climate objectives combine with geostrategic ambitions. Thus, it discloses new avenues of research focusing on the impact of corporate actors on geostrategic developments.

Datum prijs	2023
Originele taal	English
Prijsuitreikende instantie	Maastricht University
Begeleider	Anna Herranz-Surrallés (Promotor)