Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/81215 
Year of Publication: 
2006
Series/Report no.: 
IFN Working Paper No. 665
Publisher: 
Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm
Abstract: 
This study consists of an examination of productivity growth following three major technological breakthroughs: the steam power revolution, electrification and the ICT revolution. The distinction between sectors producing and sectors using the new technology is emphasized. A major finding for all breakthroughs is that there is a long lag from the time of the original invention until a substantial increase in the rate of productivity growth can be observed. There is also strong evidence of rapid price decreases for steam engines, electricity, electric motors and ICT products. However, there is no persuasive direct evidence that the steam engine producing industry and electric machinery had particularly high productivity growth rates. For the ICT revolution the highest productivity growth rates are found in the ICT-producing industries. We suggest that one explanation could be that hedonic price indexes are not used for the steam engine and the electric motor. Still, it is likely that the rate of technological development has been much more rapid during the ICT revolution compared to any of the previous breakthroughs.
Subjects: 
Electrification
General purpose technologies
ICT revolution
Productivity growth
Steam power
JEL: 
N10
O10
O14
O40
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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