David M. Hart, PhD

Research Focus

I have two overlapping areas of specialization. One is technology, science, and innovation policy. I’m interested in the sources and implications of discoveries and inventions of all sorts, past and present. The other area is governance, at the regional, national, and global levels. I want to understand the processes by which policymakers decide what to do. The two areas come together as I seek to comprehend how states, markets, individuals, and social groups interact to produce decisions about important new technological capabilities.

Current Projects

■ How should large-scale clean energy demonstration projects be managed?

■ What should the U.S. federal energy research, development, and demonstration portfolio include?

■ How can the transition to electric vehicles best be managed by the auto industry supply chain and its work force?

■ What is the impact of Chinese subsidies for clean energy technology production on global innovation in these industries?

Select Publications

■ D. M. Hart. Stranded assets in the transition from ICEVs to EVs? Prospects for labor displacement in the auto manufacturing industry. 2019 Industry Studies Conference, Nashville (2019).

■ V. Sivaram et al., The need for continued innovation in solar, wind, and energy storage. Joule 2(9), 1639-1642 (2018).

■ D. M. Hart. Beyond the technology pork barrel? An assessment of the Obama administration’s energy demonstration projects. Energy Policy 119, 367-376 (2018).

■ D. M. Hart et al., Energy storage for the grid: policy options for sustaining innovation. MIT Energy Initiative Working Paper (2018).