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Business and innovation

Business and innovation

It’s all about the money. Why seemingly great technological solutions can sometimes fail

06 Feb 2023 James McKenzie

Why do some technologies succeed and others fail? Sometimes it’s all down to economics, says James McKenzie

Flat-panel solar cells in Affrica
The right stuff Flat-panel solar cells are not as efficient as solar concentrator photovoltaics (CPVs) but they have won out by being cheap, easy to maintain and having lots of applications. (Courtesy: Shutterstock/ingehogenbijl)
When I was younger, I used to believe that science alone could solve any technological challenge –

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James McKenzie is the writer of the Transactions column for Physics World about physics in industry. He is writing here in a personal capacity
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