This major new book presents case studies of ten small country national systems of innovation (NSIs) in Europe and Asia, namely, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and Taiwan. These cases have been carefully selected as examples of success within the context of globalization and as 'new economies' where competition is increasingly based on innovation. To facilitate comparative analysis the ten studies follow a common structure, informed by an activities-based approach to describing and analysing NSIs, which addresses the critical issues of globalization and the consequences of innovation for economic performance.The final chapter compares 'fast growth' and 'slow growth' countries, concentrating on issues of innovation policy. The results illustrate the usefulness of an activities-based approach to studying NSIs, point to distinctive national roles within an increasingly differentiated international division of labour and address the key themes of 'selectivity' and 'coordination' in innovation policy. This valuable book presents one of the most significant, comprehensive and comparative country studies of NSIs in the last decade. It will have great import and should be widely read by every serious student and scholar of innovation studies.
1 Comparing national systems of innovation in Asia and Europe: theory and comparative framework by Charles Edquist and Leif Hommen 1
Pt. I Fast Growth Countries
2 The rise and growth of a policy-driven economy: Taiwan by Antonio Balaguer and Yu-Ling Luo and Min-Hua Tsai and Shih-Chang Hung and Yee-Yeen Chu and Feng-Shang Wu and Mu-Yen Hsu and Kung Wang 31
3 From technology adopter to innovator: Singapore by Poli Kam Wong and Annette Singh 71
4 Towards knowledge generation with bipolarized NSI: Korea by Chaisung Lim 113
5 High growth and innovation with low R&D: Ireland by Eoin O'Malley and Nola Hewitt-Dundas and Stephen Roper 156
6 From trade hub to innovation hub: Hong Kong by Naubahar Sharif and Erik Baark 194
Pt. II Slow Growth Countries
7 Reconsidering the paradox of high R&D input and low innovation: Sweden by Pierre Bitard and Charles Edquist and Leif Hommen and Annika Rickne 237
8 Low innovation intensity, high growth and specialized trajectories: Norway by Terje Gronning and Svein Erik Moen and Dorothy Sutherland Olsen 281
9 Challenged leadership or renewed vitality? The Netherlands by Bart Verspagen 319
10 Not just Nokia: Finland by Ville Kaitila and Markku Kotilainen 355
11 An NSI in transition? Denmark by Jesper Lindgaard Christensen and Birgitte Gregersen and Bjorn Johnson and Bengt-Ake Lundvall and Mark Tomlinson 403
12 Globalization and innovation policy by Leif Hommen and Charles Edquist 442
App Statistical bases of comparison for ten 'small country' NSI by Pierre Bitard and Leif Hommen and Jekaterina Novikova 485
Index 531
