Health biotechnology in China: National, regional, and sectoral dimensions

Biotechnology is one of the knowledge fields particularly targeted by China, as it is considered to open up windows of opportunity for catch-up to the leading economies. However, the seizing of these opportunities requires the existence of an institutional and organizational structure supportive of the introduction and usage of biotechnological knowledge. The present contribution discusses this problem in its national, regional, and sectoral dimensions. By focusing on the biopharmaceutical sector, it is shown that the regulatory environment and the capital market constitute serious bottlenecks to further development. --China,health biotechnology,innovation system,pharmaceutical

Architectural innovation in China: The concept and its implications for institutional analysis

China´s rapid economic ascent has been accompanied by brilliant institutionalist scholarship elaborating on the significance of institutional diversity for China´s recent development trajectory. As valuable as these analyses are, their foundation in the transition literature seems to have resulted in their focusing mainly on offering explanations for the characteristics and the (temporary) persistence of institutional diversity rather than on providing insights about the impact of that diversity on such issues as innovation and competitive advantage. This focus has arguably contributed to both, a limited understanding of China´s development model as well as a limited impact of the findings concerning China´s institutional reality on the research program of the comparative capitalisms, specifically on the debate on the benefits and flaws of the so-called Varieties of Capitalism (VoC). Building on recent work on innovation in China, the present paper seeks to provide a typology of architectural innovation, a concept that was originally introduced by Rebecca Henderson and Kim Clark as an extension to the radical/incremental innovation typology, in order to capture the main features of a pattern that appears to be found in a great number of China´s (assembly) industries. After illustrating this pattern with the help of an exemplary case study of China´s passenger vehicle sector, the paper will give a brief discussion of how institutional diversity and the various roles of government relate to the identified pattern of innovation

Health biotechnology in China: national, regional, and sectoral dimensions

"Biotechnology is one of the knowledge fields particularly targeted by China, as it is considered to open up 'windows of opportunity' for catch-up to the leading economies. However, the seizing of these opportunities requires the existence of an institutional and organizational structure supportive of the introduction and usage of biotechnological knowledge. The present contribution discusses this problem in its national, regional, and sectoral dimensions. By focusing on the biopharmaceutical sector, it is shown that the regulatory environment and the capital market constitute serious bottlenecks to further development." (author´s abstract

Anatomy of cluster development in China: The case of health biotech clusters

Focussing on China's health biotech clusters the study explores the anatomy of interaction in as well as between various clusters. While the literature has identified the existence of a dense network of durable interactions among firms and between firms and academia at a particular location as one of the most important prerequisites for well-performing clusters, we show that network ties extending beyond regional boundaries are equally valuable for the innovative capacity of China's biotech firms. Analysing the demographic process of cluster emergence we show that there exist different types of biotech clusters in China, which are closely linked and exchange knowledge and technology amongst each other. It appears as if further analysis of these cross-cluster links may provide important insights of how learning and innovation works in China's health biotech industry. Although China's science parks and industrial bases may on an individual basis appear to be badly structured, the organization of China's health biotech industry turns out to be substantially enhanced once these external linkages are taken into consideration. --China,health biotechnology,cluster,entrepreneurship,localization

Health biotechnology in China: National, regional, and sectoral dimensions

Biotechnology is one of the knowledge fields particularly targeted by China, as it is considered to open up windows of opportunity for catch-up to the leading economies. However, the seizing of these opportunities requires the existence of an institutional and organizational structure supportive of the introduction and usage of biotechnological knowledge. The present contribution discusses this problem in its national, regional, and sectoral dimensions. By focusing on the biopharmaceutical sector, it is shown that the regulatory environment and the capital market constitute serious bottlenecks to further development

Anatomy of cluster development in China: The case of health biotech clusters

Focussing on China's health biotech clusters the study explores the anatomy of interaction in as well as between various clusters. While the literature has identified the existence of a dense network of durable interactions among firms and between firms and academia at a particular location as one of the most important prerequisites for well-performing clusters, we show that network ties extending beyond regional boundaries are equally valuable for the innovative capacity of China's biotech firms. Analysing the demographic process of cluster emergence we show that there exist different types of biotech clusters in China, which are closely linked and exchange knowledge and technology amongst each other. It appears as if further analysis of these cross-cluster links may provide important insights of how learning and innovation works in China's health biotech industry. Although China's science parks and industrial bases may on an individual basis appear to be badly structured, the organization of China's health biotech industry turns out to be substantially enhanced once these external linkages are taken into consideration

Anatomy of cluster development in China: the case of Health Biotech Clusters

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dynamics of China's health biotech clusters from an interregional perspective. By treating clustering as the result of firms' localization choices, the paper examines whether and why different types of firms agglomerate in the various locations. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employs a demographic approach that is inspired by the 2006 work of Romanelli and Feldman on cluster development in the USA. It categorizes China's clusters based on differences in the degree of policy support and the nature of the science base. Then, it draws a sample of 75 of China's most visible firms and analyses them in terms of entrepreneurial origin, their location and, if applicable, the location of their subsidiaries. By matching types of firms with types of clusters, the paper highlights some characteristics of China's regional development. Findings: Studies on China's high‐tech agglomerations unanimously complain about a lack of "creative buzz" compared to the vibrant clusters of for example, the Bay Area in the USA. The analysis indicates that the lack of a creative culture is associated with the anatomy of cluster development. China's clusters grow to a significant extent by attracting enterprise subsidiaries to their sites. The authors argue that these particular cluster anatomies are founded on China's capital market. As the capital market is not prepared to provide pre‐revenue firms with sufficient funds, firms have to earn revenue quickly in order to ensure their viability. Therefore, they concentrate on building up manufacturing capacity and exploiting given technologies. The main point is that local governments as major providers of financial support are instrumental in this process. The establishment of manufacturing subsidiaries in various locations rests on the rationale of collecting funds. This leads to the conclusion that national capital markets either reinforce or inhibit clustering depending on how much it allows the mobility of financial capital. Local government funds do not travel far. This has an impact on the firms' localization decisions and their business strategies, which, in turn, affects the "culture" inside the clusters. Research limitations/implications: This argument is based on a limited number of interviews conducted by the authors or other researchers. In order to corroborate the link between the capital market and local development trajectories, more evidence needs to be collected via interview surveys and other means to extract financial information. Originality/value: Unlike other research on Chinese clusters, this paper offers an interregional perspective based on a demographic approach. The argument is original in linking regional cluster dynamics with the national institutional set-up

Regional specialization in China's biopharmaceutical industry

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore patterns as well as determinants of regional specialisation in China's biopharmaceutical industry. It identifies and characterizes different types of enterprises engaged in the biopharmaceutical sector in terms of their business organisation and regional set up. Design/methodology/approach: Based on data compilations not yet employed in academic analysis as well as personal interviews in China, structural determinants and driving forces of development are analysed against the background of the innovation systems literature. Findings: The geography of innovation in China's biopharmaceutical industry is determined by both, government policy and the strategic location decisions of entrepreneurs. While local‐government support of firm clustering has contributed to a dispersion of industrial activity throughout China, the firms networks are spanning clusters. Effectively, domestic firms are turning into multi‐regional companies locating activities such as R&D and manufacturing at different clusters. Originality/value: The paper adds to the literature in so far as it throws light on an until now under‐researched field of China's innovation system. It identifies the concept of multi‐regionalism among domestic non‐state enterprises as an important parameter for understanding success and regional distribution of the industry

University satellite institutes as exogenous facilitators of technology transfer ecosystem development

Universities can contribute to knowledge-based regional development not only in their home region but also in other regions. In a number of countries, universities have established university satellite institutes in additional (host) regions to promote research and technology transfer there. We investigate the role of university satellite institutes in the industrial development of regions, which, albeit not economically marginal, suffer from a weak knowledge infrastructure, limited absorptive capacities for external knowledge in the business sector and hence a low degree of attractiveness for non-local knowledge actors. Despite policy recommendations in favor of establishing satellite institutes, there has only been limited empirical research on this phenomenon, particularly concerning technology transfer ecosystem development. To fill this gap, we provide an exploratory case study of university satellite institutes in the Pearl River Delta of China’s Guangdong province. We show how such institutes can be successful in facilitating the development of their host region’s technology transfer ecosystems and demonstrate why they should be conceptually included in our existing understanding of third mission activities. Our research centers on the interplay of geographical proximity and non-spatial, organized proximity in the development of interregional knowledge bridges and entrepreneurial opportunities. We argue that the university’s geographical proximity is only successful if the satellite institute, by facilitating organized proximity, promotes the geographical proximity of further knowledge actors, hereby propelling ecosystem development. © 2021, The Author(s)

Globale Trends in der Innovationspolitik: Best Practice für alle?

Der Begriff der Innovation im Sinne von neuartigen Produkten, Prozessen und Organisationsabläufen ist in den vergangenen Jahren zu einem Synonym für Wirtschaftswachstum, nachhaltige Entwicklung und Wohlstand geworden. In diesem Sinne hat sich auch der Blickwinkel in Forschung und Politik grundlegend geändert. So steht nicht mehr der Industriesektor allein im Mittelpunkt des wirtschaftspolitischen Interesses, sondern ein ganzheitlicher Ansatz wird verfolgt, der auch andere Teilsysteme wie z. B. das Wissenschafts- und Bildungssystem berücksichtigt. Im Gegensatz zu den herkömmlichen Modellen der Wachstumstheorie, bietet der systematische Ansatz für politische Entscheidungsträger die Aussicht, konkretere Ansatzpunkte für unterstützende Politikmaßnahmen zur Förderung der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung des Landes zu liefern. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden die globalen Trends in der Gestaltung von Innovationssystemen anhand von vier ausgewählten Innovationssystemen dargelegt: Aufwendungen für Forschung und Entwicklung, Produzenten- Nutzer-Beziehungen, Intermediäre und Technologieprogramme. Der Beitrag zeigt, dass sich ein weltweit uniformer Trend herausgebildet hat. Trotz ihrer strukturellen Unterschiede und Ausgangsbedingungen decken sich die Zielsetzungen und Instrumente in den einzelnen Ländern in einem hohen Maße. Abschließend wird der Frage nachgegangen, inwiefern und auf welche Weise die Entwicklungspfade und -niveaus der Länder eine stärkere Berücksichtigung finden sollten. (ICG2