The present paper takes ground on an agent-based model presented in Arfaoui et al. (2014) to investigate the effects of credibility
upon technology substitution such as stimulated by the REACH regulation (EC 1907/2006). The model is used to study how the
perceived credibility by clients on the one hand and the perceived credibility by suppliers on the other hand influence or
not the transition from an old established technology to a new safer technology in two opposite scenarios: when the scenario
is highly stringent (HS) or weakly stringent (LS) in terms of target performance and timing. Results show that enhancing client
credibility favours technology substitution by accelerating the diffusion of the new environmental technology and benefits
the environment. However higher client credibility in the LS has counterproductive effects since suppliers have to face a
strong pressure by clients to adopt the new technology but it is not accompanied by a forceful discrimination by public authority.
When considering supplier credibility, there is no significant influence except that higher supplier credibility in the LS
means stronger pressure to adopt early T2 and to get a mixed portfolio but it turns to be premature since the demand is not
ready to buy such a technology.
Forschungsbereich:Industrie-, Innovations- und internationale Ökonomie