China's innovation system reform and growing industry and science linkages

Abstract

In this paper, linkages of S&T activities between industry and science are investigated in the context of innovation system reforms. A firm level dataset from S&T survey at National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of PRC for about 22,000 manufacturing firms is used for econometrics analysis of firm's S&T outsourcing activities. In transition period of China's innovation system from 1996 to 2002, firm's S&T outsourcing activities have been increased significantly. In addition, positive association between basic research oriented firms and collaboration with science sector can be found. China's innovation system was suffered from Russian model, where S&T activities at public research institutes and production activities at state owned enterprises are completely separated. However, in transition period of innovation system reform toward network type one, we can find that some firms have gained their technological capability to collaborate with universities and PRIs.

Does open innovation apply to China? Exploring the contingent role of external knowledge sources and internal absorptive capacity in Chinese large firms and SMEs

“…While Un, Cuervo-Cazurra and Asakawa (2008) (Gu, 1999). This, combined with the comparatively more rudimentary status of Chinese URI capability, results in the lower level of URI-firm linkages in China than in most developed countries (Brehm and Lundin, 2012;Motohashi and Yun, 2007).…”

“…Thus for Chinese firms, the inadequacy of national innovation capabilities at a tertiary level, resulting from the era of a centrally planned economy, may lead to the limited absorption (Guan, Yam and Mok, 2005;Motohashi and Yun, 2007). The lack of sufficient absorptive capacity and efficient communication channels may create a strong barrier to the identification and utilisation of valuable technological and scientific knowledge generated from URIs (Liu and Lundin, 2008).…”

“…DeSanctis, Glass and Ensing, 2002;Huang and Rice, 2009;Tsai, 2001). During the transitional period currently being experienced by China's innovation systems, the role of absorptive capacity in S&T outsourcing has been highlighted (Motohashi and Yun, 2007). Liu and White (1997) also believe that in the emerging economies such as China, innovation performance is best driven by the synergy between investment in absorptive capacity and investment in the sources of new knowledge.…”

“…Although some recent studies have begun to explore this issue (e.g. Lee et al, 2010;van de Vrande et al, 2009) (Bin, 2008;Motohashi and Yun, 2007).…”

Connecting the Mediterranean system of innovation: a functional perspective

“…The former approach has focused on sectors such as biotechnology and E-economy (OECD 1997;Dodgson, et al 2008;Lester 2001). The latter approach includes broader longitudinal explanations of national systems (Freeman 2001;Nelson 1993) that covered a wide range of organizations, institutions in both developed countries (Arundel, et al, 2007) and catching up ones (Hu and Mathews, 2005;Motohashi and Yun 2007).…”