Title:
NIS Transformation and Recombination Learning in China
NIS Transformation and Recombination Learning in China
Author(s)
Gu, Shulin
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Abstract
This paper applies the notion of national innovation systems (NIS) to analyze the transformation
of China’s NIS in the 1980s and 1990s. It focuses on two issues. Firstly it probes the interaction
between policy-making and reform practice that leads to the transformation of a huge sized
government-run industrial technology R&D system, becomes it fitting to the changed
macro-economic conditions. Secondly, it analyzes underlining learning mechanisms, as we call it
re-combination learning, that assisted the NIS transformation and a rapid pace of economic growth
during the market reform time. This paper demonstrates the analytical power of the NIS approach
in the developing country circumstance of China.
Section 1 “Universal Science and Specific Institutions” illuminates the importance of
institutions and outlines the unique institutional structure of China’s NIS developed prior to the
market reform. Section 2 “Analytic framework: Innovation Systems, NIS Transformation, and
Learning” elaborates analytical concepts and tools for the paper. Section 3 “NIS Transformation”
addresses the policy process responsible for the success of the transformation. It explains the
frequently asked question: Why Did a Gradual Process Work? Section 4 “Recombination
Learning” analyzes the learning process associated with the system’s transformation. This section
makes as well a comparison of the learning in China in the examined period with that analyzed for
South Korea and Taiwan. Section 5 evaluates the NIS Transformation in China. Finally a short
section concludes this work.
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Date Issued
2008
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Text
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Proceedings