ICTs capability and strategic emerging technologies: Evidence from Pearl River Delta

Abstract

The integration of disruptive innovation with industrial development plays a pivotal role in driving global economic and societal reform. In previous diversity and proximity paradigm studies, economic geographers have started to show interest in key enabling technologies, yet the relationship between ICTs capability and emerging technologies has not received enough attention. Using the case of the Pearl River Delta in China, we focus on exploring the relationship between ICTs capability and the regional production of strategic emerging technologies (SETs) using invention patent data. From both theoretical and empirical perspectives, we elucidate how ICTs capability, as a critical dimension of key enabling technologies, promotes the regional acquisition of emerging technologies. The result of case studies confirmed an uneven spatial distribution of multi-types of SETs and revealed a significant relationship between SETs and ICTs capacity. These results have profound implications for effectively managing emerging technologies in the new era. We argue that ICTs capability is the key to achieving a new phase of breakthroughs in technological transformation at the regional level. From a technology management perspective, a forward-thinking approach in the planning of strengthening ICTs infrastructure has a significant bearing on seizing opportunities in the new wave of technological reform. Embracing the infrastructure technology amidst the rise of emerging technologies is vital for enhancing the competitiveness of both firms and nations.