• Journal of East Asia Management
• /
• 제3권2호
• /
• pp.43-64
• /
• 2022

Exploring innovations for latecomers to catch up has been a popular concern in industry and academia. Over the last decade, more and more East Asian latecomer firms have moved beyond imitation and are delivering innovative products and services to the market. However, the semiconductor latecomers from China have limited success in catching up with more mature semiconductor firms. Our study examines how semiconductor latecomers to break through the latecomer's dilemma by innovation and achieve catch-up. We use a single-case approach for the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) vertical development process to analysis its innovation path of catching up. The study's results showed that SMIC relied on the government's policy and funding support, and based on the strategic endurance of entrepreneurs, it persisted in technology R&D investment and independent innovation for 20 years. SMIC finally smashed the dilemma of latecomers and successfully achieved catch-up. With these findings, we believe that the path of catching up innovation for semiconductor latecomers should be equipped with independent innovation of technology, strategic leadership of entrepreneurs and support of government policies. As these factors are combined, latecomer firms' position is expected to rise and catch-up will become visible. Our study contributes to some enlightenment on the innovation path for latecomers in China and global semiconductors to achieve their catch-up.

• STI Policy Review
• /
• 제6권1호
• /
• pp.36-53
• /
• 2015

The rise of latecomer countries across the world directs academic attention to their catching-up and innovation processof seizing technological opportunities and combining internal and external knowledge. Different from the developed economies as well as the newly industrialized economies, China presents a special innovation environment, wherein its technology regime, market opportunities, and institutions are complex and the globalization trend affects competition in a broader way. In thiscontext, we clarify and extend the framework of "secondary innovation". This framework describes the dynamics of those with relatively poor resources and capabilities in their efforts to capture the values of mature/emerging technology or business models by acquiringthem from across borders and then adapting to catching-up contexts. Such processes, differentiated from original innovation that involves the whole process from R&D to commercialization, has become a prevailing regime during paradigm shifts. In particular, unlike the traditional catch-up literature that focuses more on technology, the secondary innovation framework inclusively contains both technology and business model innovation, and puts forward the co-evolution between the two elements, which is more applicable to China's context. In accordance, we also provide implications towards fulfilling the goal of building an innovation-driven nation.

• 기술혁신학회지
• /
• 제9권3호
• /
• pp.435-450
• /
• 2006

이 논문은 대기업 조립업체가 혁신선도자로 발전하여 탈추격(post catch-up)단계로 넘어갈 때 그와 결부되어 나타나는 부품업체의 기술혁신 특성 변화를 사례연구를 통해 파악하는 연구이다. 조립 대기업이 선도자로 발전하면 부품의 기능과 품질에 대한 요구도 높아져서, 외국 부품을 국산화하는 수준을 법어 새로운 개념의 부품을 필요로 하게 된다. 이에 대응하기 위해서는 부품업체들도 선도자가 되어야 한다. 이러한 상황에서 나타난 부품업체 기술혁신 활동의 특성은, 부품업체임에도 불구하고 시스템 전체의 아키텍처에 대한 지식을 확보하고 부품기술개발을 수행했다는 것, 그리고 이 지식을 기반으로 부품업체와 조립업체들이 수평적인 공동개발을 수행해서 아키텍처 혁신을 이룩했다는 것이다.

• 기술혁신연구
• /
• 제14권1호
• /
• pp.147-175
• /
• 2006

One of the biggest problems of Korean economy is polarization of firms for export and domestic demand and that of conglomerates and SME's achievement. One of the culprits lies weakness of intermediate industry such as machine tool. Since intermediate industry is important path where export performance affects domestic demand and whose actor usually is SMEs with high spill over effect in labor market. Especially, intermediate industry Is vulnerable because of industrial policy biased In backward linkage effect. However if a country fails to develop intermediate industry above some critical point, that country would fall in low-tech equilibrium without growth. In case of benign circle where final goods industry growth leads growth of intermediate industry and again it leads that of final goods industry, it can reach high-tech equilibrium. By contrast, in opposite case where in industrialization latecomer fails to link industries likewise above some critical point that country would fall in low-tech equilibrium without growth. Moreover, for several reasons, machine tool firms of Korea have difficulty in catching up technology above critical point. Firstly. Conglomerate demander neglects their product. Secondly, even after success of development overcoming difficulties they fail to get market share for response of dumping of foreign competitors. And the last one is patent litigation of foreign competitors that incapacitate the technology development. For these, Korean machine tool firms fell in 'middle-income country trap' itself, since they stuck in some extent when they technologically catch up. Consequently, for latecomer country in machine tool industry to leapfrog meaningfully policy support is necessary, Weak intermediate industry does not Induce domestic firms and remained fragile. Therefore, localization, policy should reflect condition of technological catch up more than before, in order to be effective and fruitful. There should be turning point over relationship between conglomerates, major demander of machine tool and SME's, for only with active purchasing of conglomerate Korean machine industry can grow.

• 기술혁신연구
• /
• 제13권2호
• /
• pp.23-43
• /
• 2005

Industrial clusters are geographical concentrations of interconnected companies, specialised suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions (for example, universities, standard agencies, and trade associations) that combine to create new products and/or services in specific lines of business. At present, the concept of industrial cluster becomes very popular worldwide, policy makers at national, regional and local levels and business people in both forerunner and latecomer countries are keen to implement the cluster concept as an economic development model. Though understanding of clusters and related promoting policies varies from one place to another, the underlying benefits of clusters from collective learning and knowledge spillovers between participating actors strongly attract the attention of these people. In Thailand, a latecomer country in terms of technological catching up, the cluster concept has been used as a means to rectify weakness and fragmentation of its innovation systems. The present Thai government aspires to apply the concept to promote both high-tech manufacturing clusters, services clusters and community-based clusters at the grass-root level. This paper analyses three very different clusters in terms of technological sophistication and business objectives, i.e., hard disk drive, software and chili paste. It portrays their significant actors, the extent of interaction among them and the evolution of the clusters. Though are very dissimilar, common characteristics attributed to qualified success are found. Main driving forces of the three clusters are cluster intermediaries. Forms of these organizations are different from a government research and technology organization (RTO), an industrial association, to a self-organised community-based organization. However, they perform similar functions of stimulating information and knowledge sharing, and building trust among participating firms/individuals in the clusters. Literature in the cluster studies argues that government policies need to be cluster specific. In this case, the best way to design and implement cluster-specific policies is through working closely with intermediaries and strengthening their institutional especially in linking member firms/individuals to other actors in clusters such as universities, government R&D institutes, and financial institutions.