Abstract: As the world is entering the tipping point of climate change, governments are ramping up support for clean technology innovation for the transition to a "green" economy. But how can we tell whether these policies are truly shifting the direction of business R&D? This talk presents new research that evaluates Canada’s federal clean technology programs using rich firm-level business data and advanced causal inference tools designed to untangle cause and effect from coincidence. The analysis reveals surprising differences in how firms respond—depending on the type of energy-related technology and whether R&D is done in-house or through external partnerships—offering fresh insight into the hidden dynamics shaping Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Bio: Dr. Joseph Jung is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Economics and Management at the Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University. He previously served as an International Junior Scholar at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and as a consultant with the Studying for Success program at Dalhousie University, where he also earned his PhD in Economics in 2023. His research focuses on how industrial and innovation policies shape firm dynamics and income and gender inequality, with applications of causal inference and agent-based modelling. He has taught a wide range of economics courses at Saint Mary’s University, Mount Allison University, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Dalhousie University, and in 2024 received a letter of recognition from Dalhousie’s BIPOC Executive Committee for his mentorship and student support.