Grappes d'innovations sur les réseaux électriques et les concessions des collectivités locales (eau, déchets). Une lecture scumpeterienne du smart grid

The revolution of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), also called « information age », which has begun in the 70?s with Internet (Arpanet, 1969), microprocessors (Intel, 1971) or personal computer (Apple, 1977) is now spreading in the fields of energy, water and waste. This means adding to the physical networks all kinds of information technology hardware, such as sensors, digital meters as well as a communications network which retrieves, stores, analyzes and protects the data and allows their display. This process is reminiscent of the model of ?grapes of innovations? of the Austro-Hungarian economist Joseph Schumpeter. ?New combinations? lead at the same time to a ?vertical? and ?horizontal? integration of firms (on the various segments of the electricity?s chain and the neighbouring markets of water and waste). These ?new combinations? are also implemented by the entrepreneurs constituted by consortiums including both industrial giants and small starts-ups. Finally, the specific nature of innovation investment, through public funds and financial markets (venture capital) induced the risk of a « speculative bubble ». The financial area is then separated from the ?real? economy, since interest as well as capital is pure monetary phenomena which don?t originate from real transactions and goods, as Joseph Schumpeter mentioned. JEL Codes: O31, O32, M13