Sailing ship effect

The sailing ship effect is a phenomenon by which the introduction of a new technology to a market accelerates the innovation of an incumbent technology.[1] Despite the fact that the term was coined by W.H. Ward in 1967[2] the concept was made clear much earlier in a book by S.C. Gilfillan entitled “Inventing the ship” published in 1935. The name of the “effect” is due to the reference to advances made in sailing ships in the second half of the 1800s in response to the introduction of steamships.[3] According to Ward, in the 50 years after the introduction of the steam ship, sailing ships made more improvements than they had in the previous 300 years. The term “Sailing Ship Effect” applies to situations in which an old technology is revitalized, experiencing a “last gasp” when faced with the risk of being replaced by a newer technology. Here is how Gilfillan put it: ”It is paradoxical, but on examination logical, that this noble flowering of the sailing ship, this apotheosis during her decline and just before extermination, was partly vouchsafed by her supplanter, the steamer.” (Gilfillan, 1935, p. 156).

This effect is the economic version of a phenomenon in biology called the red queen effect.[4] The sailing ship effect has attracted attention as a paradigm for the ecological transition of the energetic systems, especially in the automotive field.[5]

  1. ^ Howells, John; Handelshøjskolen i Århus (November 2002). "The Response of Old Technology Incumbents to Technological Competition: Does the Sailing Ship Effect Exist?". Journal of Management Studies. 39 (7): 887–906. doi:10.1111/1467-6486.00316.
  2. ^ Ward, W.H. (1967). "The sailing ship effect". Bulletin of the Institute of Physics and Physical Society. 18 (6): 169. doi:10.1088/0031-9112/18/6/004.
  3. ^ Geels, Frank W. (2005). Technological Transitions and System Innovations: A Co-evolutionary and Socio-technical Analysis. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 9781845424596.
  4. ^ Schiavone, Francesco (2013). Communities of Practice and Vintage Innovation: A Strategic Reaction to Technological Change. Springer. p. 8. ISBN 9783319019024.
  5. ^ Sick, N., A-M. Nienaber, B. Liesenkötter, N. vom Stein, G. Schewe and J. Leker (2016). "The legend about Sailing Ship Effects – Is it true or false?". Journal of Cleaner Production. 137: 405–413. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.07.085.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)