There is a large literature on the optimal order of exploitation of natural resources. We explore the impact of specific technical progress that enables the saving of resource inputs in production on the order of exploitation.
Models of growth tend to assume uniform and global technical progess. Our model however specifies that technical progress is specific to certain inputs.
Under a set of plausible assumptions, we show that, for certain sets of parameter values, it may be optimal to use exclusively at first a non renewable resource, then stop using this resource and switch into a renewable resource, and finally return to the use of the non renewable resource.