Beyond Technonationalism

Abstract

What explains the rapid and sustained economic rise of Asian countries in high-technology industries, including biomedicals? The biomedical industry, comprised mainly of biopharmaceuticals and medical devices, is among the fastest growing globally and has been an economic-development target of national governments around the world. The book presents a conceptual framework to assess national government management of innovation and entrepreneurship in the fast-growing biomedical industry in Asia, which at current growth rates is on track to become the center of the world economy. Four Asian countries—China, India, Japan, and Singapore—are compared in terms of innovation capacities, government policy, and firm-level strategies underlying competitive advantages in high technology. The book argues that countries that pursue networked technonationalism have been effective in upgrading innovation capacity and also encouraging entrepreneurial activity in targeted industries. The study begins with a global-level analysis of biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship, identifying emerging concentrations of scientific citation, patenting, and firm creation—paying close attention to trends in Asian economies and future prospects. Findings indicate a gradual shift to Asian economies of many biomedical-innovation and new-business-creation activities. The book concludes with implications for innovation policy and entrepreneurship strategy in Asia and elsewhere.