Influence of Regulation on Research and Technology Maturation: A Bibliometric Investigation of Research in Aftertreatment Technology

Environmental risk has emerged as a primary concern globally, with air pollution being the most significant contributor to this risk. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, Net Zero emission targets, and growing concern about climate change and air pollution are pushing for rigorous emission norms. Vehicular emission has been identified as a major contributor to air pollution. Health alarms and increasing public concern have led to the development of stringent regulations for abating vehicular emissions. Efficiency in controlling vehicular emissions (Aftertreatment Systems) has emerged as one of the critical factors for the competitiveness of automobile companies. Aftertreatment systems are complex systems with various components that must be integrated to develop an effective mechanism for vehicular emission control. Scientific leads provide the key inputs for the technology development of aftertreatment systems. The influence of regulation on scientific research in an area provides a novel understanding of a demand-pull model of research, increasing regulation creating demand driven research. This aspect has not been researched to that extent and more so applying the bibliometrics approach. The present paper is centred in this direction. It examines the key regulations implemented over different periods for controlling vehicular emissions and their influence on aftertreatment research. A sophisticated bibliometric science mapping approach is applied to capture the temporal and longitudinal evolution of research in aftertreatment, covering the period from 1991 to 2023. The paper provides interesting insights into research shaped by regulations and concludes by drawing policy implications.