A systemic analysis of the technological trajectory at company level based on patent data: The case of Sanofi's vaccine technology
Résumé
Whereas most of technological trajectory research in evolutionary economics focuses on the sectoral level, our
objective is to propose an analysis at the scale of the company. We are studying the leading pharmaceutical
company Sanofi and focusing on the development of its vaccine technologies, a very topical issue in the Covid-19
context. What are the characteristics of Sanofi’s vaccine technology trajectory and how can they explain the
company’s position in the Covid-19 crisis, i.e. its ability (or not) to innovate and respond to social demand for a
vaccine? We contribute to technological trajectory literature by integrating a systemic dimension of the links
between source and destination technology. Our ‘Knowledge Capital Approach’ is based on patent citation data
and network analysis. It has allowed us to identify the trajectory of Sanofi’s vaccine technical system and to show
its central position in its knowledge capital, where the technologies mastered by the company converge. These
results can be viewed as paradoxical when considering Sanofi’s lag in the Covid-19 race for a new vaccine. Our
historical and qualitative approach adds to these findings by showing the role of strategic and institutional
factors in explaining this situation.