University-Industry Technology Transfer: Empirical Findings from Chinese Industrial Firms

The knowledge and innovation generated by researchers at universities is transferred to industries through patent licensing, leading to the commercialization of academic output. In order to investigate the development of Chinese university-industry technology transfer and whether this kind of collaboration may affect a firm's innovation output, we collected approximately 6400 license contracts made between more than 4000 Chinese firms and 300 Chinese universities for the period between 2009 and 2014. This is the first study on Chinese university-industry knowledge transfer using a bipartite social network analysis (SNA) method, which emphasizes centrality estimates. We are able to investigate empirically how patent license transfer behavior may affect each firm's innovative output by allocating a centrality score to each firm in the university-firm technology transfer network. We elucidate the academic-industry knowledge by visualizing flow patterns for different regions with the SNA tool, Gephi. We find that innovation capabilities, R&D resources, and technology transfer performance all vary across China, and that patent licensing networks present clear small-world phenomena. We also highlight the Bipartite Graph Reinforcement Model (BGRM) and BiRank centrality in the bipartite network. Our empirical results reveal that firms with high BGRM and BiRank centrality scores, long history, and fewer employees have greater innovative output

Integration modes, global networks, and knowledge diffusion in overseas M&As by emerging market firms

Purpose This paper aims to examine how integration modes impact the acquirer knowledge diffusion capacity of overseas mergers and acquisitions (M&As) effected by emerging market firms and the role played by the global innovation network position of the acquiring firms in affecting this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Through the use of structural equation modelling and bootstrap testing, the hypotheses are tested by drawing upon a sample of 102 overseas M&As effected by listed Chinese manufacturing companies. Findings The results show that acquirers from emerging countries are unable to increase the knowledge diffusion capacity unless they choose the right post-merger integration mode. This paper also finds that the relationship between integration mode and knowledge diffusion is channelled through the centrality and structural holes of acquirers in the global innovation networks. When considering the combinations of different resource similarities and complementarities of the acquired firms, differences emerge in the integration model and network embedded path of acquirers in emerging countries. Practical implications Emerging market multinational enterprises should consider post-merger integration as a crucial facilitator to the crafting of global innovation network positions that promote knowledge diffusion. The choices of integration mode and brand management autonomy should be matched with the resource similarities and complementarities that exist between the acquirer and target firms. Originality/value Based on the resource orchestration theory and by focussing on network centrality and structural hole as the crucial links, this study provides a nuanced understanding of the relationship between post-merger integration and knowledge diffusion and sheds light on latecomer firms from emerging countries

Social movements and the crisis of neoliberalism in Malaysia and Thailand

Of the Southeast Asian countries most badly affected by the 1997 financial crisis, Malaysia and Thailand remain the most unsettled by its political fallout. Their present political situations are not akin to 'politics as usual'. Instead, they capture the unpredicted outcomes of post-crisis struggles to reorganize structures of economic and political power. Comparing the situations in Malaysia and Thailand, this paper focuses on their differing state and civil society engagements with neoliberalism. It is suggested that the post-crisis contestations, sometimes tied to pre-crisis conflicts in political economy, left something of a stalemate: neither neoliberalism nor the social movements satisfactorily fulfilled their agendas in either country.Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Thailand, Social movements, Economic policy, Financial crises, Neoliberalism, East Asian financial crisis

Revisiting China’s climate policy

Edited by Akihisa MoriAgainst the emergence of multilateral climate governance, China showed a hostile stance, opposing the obligation to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. However, China has gradually changed its stance to accept a non-obligatory reduction of carbon intensity and become proactive in this reduction. Meanwhile, it has implemented a number of climate policy measures. Against this backdrop, this chapter aims to explore what changed China’s hostile stance to a proactive one through revisiting the policy process and outcomes the Chinese government has taken to address the climate-energy conundrum. The findings can be summarized as follows. First, China’s climate policy has been centered on energy development strategies, thus is framed as energy policy. However, detailed policy measures have been adjusted in order to make them realistic and effective, incorporating the vested interests of local governments and national oil companies (NOCs), the government’s desire to create new growth points, and emerging health concerns. Second, the resultant climate-energy policy provokes conflicts of interest between provincial governments, NOCs, and distributed energy producers, blocking changes in the energy mix from accelerating and impairing the structural effect for CO₂ emission reductions. Such domestic conflicts of interest are shifting the government focus toward “going global” in coal and hydropower industries

A bibliometric analysis of end-of-life vehicles related research:exploring a path to environmental sustainability

Considering rapid economic development and continuously increasing environmental concerns, end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) have significant socioeconomic value as a crucial waste stream. The research relating to ELVs has rapidly evolved over the last few years. However, existing review studies focus on specific research themes, and thus, fail to present a complete picture. Hence, this research intends to explain the current research scenario relating to ELVs by reviewing the critical published studies of the last 22 years. A total of 1405 research publications were extracted from the Scopus database covering the period from 2000 to 2021. Mainly employing bibliometric analysis techniques, this research analyzes the quantity of literature, researchers, institutions, countries, and research themes to understand the current status and future trends in ELV recycling and management. The results revealed a considerable rise in the number of articles published in the last five years. The key producers of influential ELV research are listed as the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Globally, Chinese universities have the most ELV-related articles published. Similarly, Serbian researcher Vladimir Simic authored the most ELV-related articles during the research period. This article also identifies various research themes: management and recycling, resource recovery and components, life cycle evaluation, and socioeconomic effects. The results also reveal a strong association between distinct ELV research clusters

Mobility in China: a conceptual take on a personal vehicle for China in 2020 that enhances maneuverability

China has the largest projected automobile market in the world, expected to surpass the United States as the largest car market in the world by 2025. The combination of large population, a mass movement of citizens to cities, and a pollution crisis creates unique opportunities in China for automobile design. The first generations of Chinese to embrace the automobile have been attracted to them by the same values that have been embraced by the West such as prestige, a reflection of personal success, and a sense of freedom of movement. This attraction has given rise to traditional brands such as Buick, Audi and Mercedes Benz. However, as a new generation matures aware of China\u27s problems presented by a growing number of automobiles, a shift is happening. Awareness of ecological issues, as well as an acute sense of forthcoming issues with traffic density inside and surrounding China\u27s vast metropolises, suggests future generations are more willing to embrace alternative solutions. China has a young automotive identity, currently relating to aesthetic qualities of certain brands. Without the same historical narrative that has informed the rise of the car in the West, China is poised to create one that can respond more acutely to its needs. With fossil fuels the source of many potential problems in both pollution and cost of use, alternative energy vehicles will likely form the backbone of future growth of the automobile in China. Currently Toyota, GM, BMW, and Audi, to name a few, are actively pursuing alternative energy power plant designs. By 2020, alternative energy vehicles will make up a significant percentage of new vehicle sales in the Western world. Potential solutions come in the form of gas and diesel hybrids, all electric, hydrogen fuel cell and Hydrogen internal combustion engines. For a car to successfully meet the needs of Chinese consumers, it will need to be both ecologically friendly and highly maneuverable to maximize use of the limited space available on congested streets. The simple act of making a U-turn on a narrow street in a conventional four-wheeled vehicle can cause traffic jams. Additionally, automation in future thoroughfares can reduce the space between individual automobiles, effectively placing more vehicles in less space. This thesis establishes the need for rethinking the physical footprint of the automobile in the context of the Chinese market and provides a framework for a new vehicle design

Upgrading of Symbolic and Synthetic Knowledge Bases: Analysis of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry and the Automotive Industry in China

The degree and the way of upgrading differ widely per industry. This article tries to give some new insights in these differences by linking the concept of upgrading to that of the knowledge base. Moreover, we try to identify barriers to upgrading as well as the appropriate spatial scale on which upgrading takes place, again for different knowledge bases. We support our argument by analysing the process of upgrading in two industries in China: the AEC industry (in Beijing and Shanghai) and the automotive industry (in Shanghai). Within these industries we focus on upgrading on two levels: within firms and within projects. Our findings for both industries suggest that the principal ways of upgrading of the symbolic knowledge base are joint brainstorming in internal and external project teams and labour mobility. Major factors that hinder the upgrading of symbolic knowledge include the development stage of China, the Chinese educational system and tensions about duplication of western designs. Upgrading of the synthetic knowledge base takes mainly place via inter-company training programmes of foreign firms, technology transfer and labour mobility on the long run. A possible barrier for upgrading of synthetic knowledge, especially in the automotive industry, is that foreign firms tend to keep certain engineering activities in their home base because of the risk of knowledge leakage. However, this is changing quickly as many foreign carmakers and their suppliers invest in engineering centres in China due to an increasing demand for cars, to governmental regulations and to intensifying competition.Urban development, upgrading, automotive industry, AEC industry, knowledge economy, China.

CURRENT ISSUES AFFECTING TRADE AND TRADE POLICY: AN ANNOTATED LITERATURE REVIEW

This review provides a base of literature describing current issues and research on the impacts of lobalization and the industrialization of agriculture and recent approaches to analyze and model agricultural trade and trade policies. Three key factors of the survey are differentiated goods, global economic integration and international supply chain linkages. The review covers 182 publications, which are presented alphabetically by author with a brief annotation describing how it relates to the above criteria. The articles are also indexed by keyword. A brief summary highlights the documented literature and includes a series of issues for future discussion and research.International Relations/Trade,