Here today, gone tomorrow: Rise and fall of technology hypes a matter of association
Exaggerated hopes for new technologies arise through associations with other socially relevant expectations. This is the key finding of a study funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF. The study analysed the "rise and fall" of technology hypes based on fuel cell technology as an alternative vehicle propulsion concept. This technology, which was on the brink of being launched in the late 1990s following huge fanfare and investment, was overtaken by the hype surrounding battery-operated electric cars. Based on media reports and expert interviews, the study examined the dynamics of the expectations behind this series of events. The results have been used to develop an analytical concept that could help to identify such dynamics in political and commercial contexts.