Cultivating Chinese Indigenous Innovation and Knowledge Creativity in Food Industry: Government Supports in Patent Application, Protection, Sharing and Utilization

Liguo Luo,Lihong Zhou

doi:10.19026/ajfst.7.1317

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the Chinese indigenous innovation and knowledge creativity in food industry. A set of Intellectual Property (IP) policies and high-level strategies, established by Chinese central government, were evaluated to cultivate and encourage indigenous innovations and creation of knowledge in food industry through enhancing the application, transfer and protection of patents. This study surveyed 80 food production related enterprises located in Jiangsu province, including 60 private-owned, 11 state-owned and 9 joint ventures. Then, 200 questionnaires were distributed through the Intellectual Property Office of Jiangsu, 102 were returned, in which 98 were evaluated as valid. The data collected exhibit that patent application has been widely employed as an effective approach not only to protect food products and service innovations, but also to promote enterprisesâ€™ reputation, attract government financial and political supports, generate monetary or other profits from licensing or transferring patents and be eligible for tax reduction and exemption. Thus, the data analysis indicated that the governmental IP policies and strategies have strongly strengthened the indigenous innovations in food industry. However, the analysis also pointed out a series of problems and barriers in patent utilization. The conclusions thus advocate completing the national legislation system in IP and formulating specific supporting strategies at regional level by individual provincial IP administrative offices. The research study reported in this study is of interests to China IP policy makers and politicians, as well as the managers of Chinese enterprises interested in increasing organizational creativity and protecting their innovations.

Highlights

Chinese economy is facing a critical turn, as pointed out by the “12th Five Year Planning” that very recently published by the Chinese central government and that was expected to have the ultimate guiding power over the development of the nation during 20112015
The focal point of Chinese economy in the near future should be on the development of a number of private organizations, which should be able to survive in the domestic market, and should be capable of competing with foreign companies in the international market
In order to investigate the Chinese indigenous innovation and knowledge creativity in food industry, this study has investigated the Chinese central government political strategies on food products industry and the efforts made by individual provincial governments’ political strategies have great effect on the indigenous innovation and knowledge creativity in food industry

Summary

Introduction

Chinese economy is facing a critical turn, as pointed out by the “12th Five Year Planning” that very recently published by the Chinese central government and that was expected to have the ultimate guiding power over the development of the nation during 20112015. It is paramount to cultivate a new form of organizations based on self scientific and technological innovations, having self developed intellectual properties and core technologies. These organizations should be the engine of economic development, should lead the domestic market and should be competitive in the international market. In this case, we can change from the ‘Made in China’ into ‘Innovated in China’ (Gong, 2009). There are three core tasks urgently to be accomplished for the current Chinese economics reformation as pointed out by the “12th Five Year Planning”. The development of Chinese organizations should be based on knowledge creation and innovation, the dissemination of knowledge among staff and the utilization of knowledge into value added processes and knowledge works (Gong, 2009)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion