From Steam to Diesel in the Spanish Fisheries Sector: A Multilevel Perspective in the Study of Technology Diffusion Processes

This article seeks to study the diffusion of diesel engines in the Spanish fisheries sector by revealing the factors that had a bearing on that process from a dual perspective: at aggregate level and at company level. The diffusion process for diesel technology follows an S-shapped curve, involving a gradual process. A range of varying factors explains the slow diffusion of diesel at the sector level, related to both demand and supply, and factors as those related to the characteristics of innovation and the evolution of older technology. A model is subsequently proposed that details the adoption of innovations and the characteristics of companies. The results indicate that the parameters of both the recipient company—size, location and organizational structure—and its technology provider help to explain the probability of this deployment.