What drives technology convergence? Exploring the influence of technological and resource allocation contexts

Although many studies emphasize the importance of technology convergence, comparatively few ask, “What drives technology convergence?”. This study empirically demonstrates how technological and resource allocation contexts nourish technology convergence. We use the data from government-supported R&D projects in Korea and measure convergent patents as ones with multi-assigned R&D domains. The results show that earlier stage of technology life cycle, lower technology readiness level, longer R&D timespan, or smaller R&D budget lead to the creation of technology convergence. The results justify the policy supports for technology convergence and highlight the paradoxical relationship between the affluence of R&D resources and technology convergence.