Despite being hit by falling levels of private capital investment during the first quarter of this year, the clean tech sector appears be back on the up again following an encouraging second quarter performance and a recent flurry of high-profile deals.
According to an online survey undertaken by U.S. executive search firm Polachi among more than 100 clean tech managers and investors, confidence is fast returning with 90% saying they expected growth to resume within a year or less, while almost a third believed that the turnaround had already kicked in during the second quarter of this year.
Three-quarters of respondents were also convinced that renewable energy-based industries were likely to become the key engine for economic growth over the next decade.
However, they also counseled that in the shorter term several factors remained that could inhibit growth, with more than half raising concerns over restricted flows of private capital, 47% citing concerns over the economy, and a third arguing that high commodity prices could hamper the sector.
The results of the survey came as a flurry of solar energy deals over the past few days underlined the sense that a recovery is in progress.
According to an online survey undertaken by U.S. executive search firm Polachi among more than 100 clean tech managers and investors, confidence is fast returning with 90% saying they expected growth to resume within a year or less, while almost a third believed that the turnaround had already kicked in during the second quarter of this year.
Three-quarters of respondents were also convinced that renewable energy-based industries were likely to become the key engine for economic growth over the next decade.
However, they also counseled that in the shorter term several factors remained that could inhibit growth, with more than half raising concerns over restricted flows of private capital, 47% citing concerns over the economy, and a third arguing that high commodity prices could hamper the sector.
The results of the survey came as a flurry of solar energy deals over the past few days underlined the sense that a recovery is in progress.
