Catching Up of Latecomer Economies in ICT for Sustainable Development: An Analysis Based on Technology Life Cycle Using Patent Data

Abstract

In the digital economy era, ICT plays a vital role in supporting the sustainable and high-quality development of latecomer economies. Using technology life cycle analysis and patent data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (1960–2014), this study analyzed the catching-up characteristics of latecomer economies (with the US as the first mover), including take-off time, growth time, growth rate, and ceiling values in nine sub-fields of information and communication technology (ICT). We applied the logistic and bi-logistic model to reveal the sequence of technological development and growth speed of different economies in different ICT sub-fields. The results show that European economies (Great Britain, France, and Germany) and the US developed first, followed by Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, with China (Mainland) coming later; Asian economies (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China (Mainland)) displayed synchronous development strategies, while European economies displayed non-synchronous development strategies. Asian economies are catching up with the US, whereas European economies are standing still both in imitation and indigenous processes. Korea and Taiwan prioritized catching up with a few sub-fields in the indigenous process. Finally, we analyzed the technological convergence among economies in their catching-up processes and proposed policy implications for the sustainable development of ICT latecomers.