European automotive technological innovation systems in the age of disruption: The suppliers’ view

Although empirical studies show that suppliers’ innovativeness enhances original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) total innovation performance, some evidence reveals that suppliers’ innovation affects OEM in quantitatively and qualitatively limited ways. This study aims to explore innovation systems of European automobile producers, i.e., OEM. Technological innovation systems (TIS) remain relatively underexplored, but the approach is especially valuable for explaining why and how sustainable and circular innovation develop and spread. We applied a mixed-method approach and conducted patent analyses and interviews with 20 respondents from Slovenia, Austria, and Hungary, which are representatives of suppliers for the automotive industry and automotive clusters. We confirm that the European OEMs build innovation ecosystems that are more closed than their Asian counterparts. Furthermore, we define three paths of how inventions of suppliers can reach the OEMs, with developmental suppliers (large companies) having the highest probability of influencing the innovation activity of OEMs. The entry of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and start-ups with their inventions is difficult. However, it is not impossible, especially if they develop new solutions connected to current disruptive trends in the automotive industry: electric cars, autonomous driving and digitalisation.