Abstract
Countries with advanced innovation systems are consolidating and optimizing their National Innovation Ecosystem (NIE) frameworks. In contrast, emerging economies are formulating their own NIE frameworks in order to capitalize and build on the nation’s advantages to create self-sustaining innovation capabilities to compete internationally. The challenge is not to copy the best performers but to define their own original innovation policy, taking into account specific strengths, weaknesses, priorities, and cultural and institutional traditions. This paper presents detailed study cases for the following three countries with high level of innovation: Finland, South Korea, and Singapore. It summarizes each country’s experiences and key findings. The paper concludes with a set of pillars to be taken into consideration when designing NIE or revising an existing one to encompass the realm of activities needed for a country to reach its goals.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Balzat, M., & Hanusch, H. (2004). Recent trends in the research on National Innovation Systems. Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 14, 197–210.
Chaturvedi, S. (2005). Evolving a national system of biotechnology innovation: some evidence from Singapore. Science Technology Society, 10(1), 105–127.
Chesbrough, H. (2003). Open innovation: the new imperative for creating and profiting from technology. Harvard, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Dalziel, M., & Parjanen, S. (2012). Measuring the impact of innovation intermediaries: a case study of TEKES, Melkas, Helina and Vesa Harmaakorpi, Practice-based innovation: insights, applications and policy implications (pp. 117–132). London: Springer.
Dodgson, M. (2009). Asia’s National Innovation Systems: institutional adaptability and rigidity in the face of global innovation challenges. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 26, 589–609.
Eom, B., & Lee, K. (2010). Determinants of industry–academy linkages, and their impact on firm performance: the case of Korea as a latecomer in knowledge industrialization. Research Policy, 39(5), 625–639.
Faber, J., & Hesen, A. B. (2004). Innovation capabilities of European nations cross-national analyses of patents and sales of product innovations. Research Policy, 33, 193–207.
Fan, P. (2011). Innovation capacity and economic development: China and India. Economic Change and Restructuring, 44, 49–73.
Fagerberg, J., Mowery, D., & Verspagen, B. (2009). The evolution of Norway’s National Innovation System. Science and Public Policy, 36, 431–444.
Fagerberg, J., & Fosaas, M. (2014). Innovation and innovation policy in the Nordic region. Toyen: Fafo.
Freeman, C. (1987). Technology policy and economic performance: lessons from Japan. London: Pinter.
Freeman, C. (2002). Continental, national and sub-national innovation systems—complementarity and economic growth. Research Policy, 31(2), 191–211.
Fu, X., Pietrobelli, C., & Soete, L. (2011). The role of foreign technology and indigenous innovation in the emerging economies: technological change and catching-up. World Development, 39(7), 1204–1212.
Galabova, L. (2012). Developing a knowledge-based economy through innovation policy: the cases of Bulgaria, Finland and Scotland. Science and Public Policy, 39, 802–814.
Gulbrandsen, M. (2011). Research institutes as hybrid organizations: central challenges to their legitimacy. Policy Sciences, 44(3), 215–230.
Gupta, N., Healey, D., Stein, A., & Shipp, S. (2013). Innovation policies in South Korea. Virginia: Institute for Defence Analyses.
Hong, Y. (2005). Evolution of the Korean National Innovation System and Technological Capacity Building, Korean’s Science & Technology Policy Institute (STEPI).
Inkinen, T., & Suorsa, K. (2010). Intermediaries in regional innovation systems: high-technology enterprise survey from northern Finland. European Planning Studies, 18(2), 169–187.
InnoMetrics. (2009). European Innovation Scoreboard 2008: Comparative analysis of innovation performance, European Commission, Enterprise and Industry, Online at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/files/proinno/eis-2008_en.pdf.
Jauhiainen, J. (2007). Regional and innovation policies in Finland: towards convergence and/or mismatch. Regional Studies, 42(7), 1031–1045.
Kaiser, R., & Prange, H. (2004). The reconfiguration of National Innovation Systems—the example of German biotechnology. Research Policy, 33, 395–408.
Ko, Y., Choe, H. (2011) Mini country report—South Korea.
Lemola, T. (2002). Convergence of national science and technology policies: the case of Finland. Research Policy, 31, 1481–1490.
Lundvall, B. A. (1992). National systems of innovation: towards a theory of innovation and interactive learning. London: Pinter.
Ministry of Education. (2009). Evaluation of the Finnish National Innovation System. Taloustieto Oy: Helsinki.
Monroe, T., (2006), The National Innovation Systems of Singapore and Malaysia, Online at: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/apcity/unpan027022.pdf.
Motohashi, K. (2005). University–industry collaborations in Japan: the role of new technology-based firms in transforming the National Innovation System. Research Policy, 34, 583–594.
Nair, M. (2007). The “DNA” of the new economy. Economic Bulletin, 8, 27–59.
Nelson, R. R. (Ed.). (1993). National Innovation Systems: a comparative analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Nieminen, M., Kaukonen, E. (2001). Universities and R&D networking in a knowledge-based economy—a glance at Finnish development, Sitra Report Series, 11, Helsinki: Printing house: Hakapaino Oy.
OECD Directorate for Science. (2011). Technology and industry, OECD review of innovation in Southeast Asia—country profile of innovation: Singapore . Brussels: OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry.
Oerlemans, L., & Pretorius, M. (2006). Stimulating innovative behaviour in national systems of innovation: theoretical, methodological and policy pitfalls and challenges. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 17(1), 55–74.
Ormala, E. (2001). Science, technology and innovation policy in Finland, Mustar, Philippe and Philippe Laredo, Research and Iinovation policies in the new global economy: an international comparative analysis (pp. 325–358). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Park, H. (2010). Longitudinal trends in networks of university–industry–government relations in South Korea: the role of programmatic incentives. Research Policy, 39(5), 640–649.
Peters, S. (2006). National systems of innovation: creating high-technology industries, PALGRAVE MACMILLAN.
Raunio, M., Kautonen, M., Saarinen, J. (2013). Models for international innovation policy: transnational channels and regional platforms, University of Tampere, Online at: http://www.uta.fi/yky/tutkimus/tasti/Julkaisut/Sahkoinenkirjasto/Models_for_International_Innovation_Policy.pdf.
Ritchie, B. (2001). Innovation systems collective dilemmas, and the formation of technical intellectual capital in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. International Journal of Business and Society, 2(2), 21–48.
Ross, G., Fernstrom, L., Gupta, O. (2005). National Innovation Systems: Finland, Sweden & Australia, Compared Report Prepared for the Australian Business Foundation, Online at: http://www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/NSWBC/media/Misc/Ask%20Us%20How/National-Innovation-Systems.pdf.
Salami, R., & Soltanzadeh, J. (2012). Comparative analysis for science, technology and innovation policy; lessons learned from some selected countries (Brazil, India, China, South Korea and South Africa) for other LdCs Like Iran. J Technol Manag Innov, 7(1), 211–226.
Schwab, K. (2008). The Global Competitiveness Report 2008–2009, World Economic Forum, Online at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2008-09.pdf.
Schwab, K. (2009). The Global Competitiveness Report 2009–2010, World Economic Forum, Online at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2009-10.pdf.
Schwab, K. (2010). The Global Competitiveness Report 2010–2011, World Economic Forum, Online at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2010-11.pdf.
Schwab, K. (2011). The Global Competitiveness Report 2011–2012, World Economic Forum, Online at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GCR_Report_2011-12.pdf.
Schwab, K. (2012) The Global Competitiveness Report 2012–2013, World Economic Forum, Online at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2012-13.pdf.
Schwab, K. (2013). The Global Competitiveness Report 2013–2014, World Economic Forum, Online at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2013-14.pdf.
Schwab, K. (2014). The Global Competitiveness Report 2014–2015, World Economic Forum, Online at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2014-15.pdf
Schienstock, G., Hamalainen, T. (2001). Transformation of the Finnish innovation system: a network approach, Helsinki: SITRA, Online at: http://www.sitra.fi/julkaisut/raportti7.pdf.
Shapiro, M., So, M., & Park, H. (2010). Quantifying the national innovation system: inter-regional collaboration networks in South Korea. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 22(7), 845–857.
Sohn, D., & Kenney, M. (2007). Universities, clusters and innovation systems: the case of Seoul Korea. World Development, 35(6), 991–1004.
Sotarauta, M., & Kautonen, M. (2007). Co-evolution of the Finnish national and local innovation and science arenas: towards a dynamic understanding of multi-level governance. Regional Studies, 41(8), 1085–1098.
Sun, Y., & Negishi, M. (2010). Measuring the relationships among university, industry and other sectors in Japan’s National Innovation System: a comparison of new approaches with mutual information indicators. Scientometrics, 82, 677–685.
Tan, K., Phang, S. (2004). From efficiency-driven to innovation-driven economic growth: perspectives from Singapore, Online at: http://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1787&context=soe_research.
The Ministry of Employment and Economy, (2009), Government’s communication on Finland’s National Innovation Strategy, The Ministry of Employment and Economy, Online at: http://www.tem.fi/files/21010/National_Innovation_Strategy_March_2009.pdf.
Uppenberg, K. (2009). Innovation and economic growth. EIB Papers, 14(1), 10–35.
van Beers, C., Berghall, E., Poot, T. (2008). R&D internationalization, R&D collaboration and public knowledge institutions in small economies: evidence from Finland and the Netherlands, Research Policy, 37.2, 294–308
Wang, J. (2007). From technological catch-up to innovation-based economic growth: South Korea and Taiwan compared. Journal of Development Studies, 43(6), 1084–1104.
Williams, L., & McGuire, S. (2010). Economic creativity and innovation implementation: the entrepreneurial drivers of growth? Evidence from 63 countries. Small Business Economics, 34, 391–412.
Wong, C. (2011). Rent-seeking. Industrial policies and National Innovation Systems in Southeast Asian economies. Technology in Society, 33, 231–243.
Wong, C., & Goh, K. (2012). The pathway of development: science and technology of NIEs and selected Asian emerging economies. Scientometrics, 91, 1–26.
Wonglimpiyarat, J. (2011). Government programs in financing innovations: comparative innovation system cases of Malaysia and Thailand. Technology in Society, 33, 156–164.
Wong, P., & Singh, A. (2008). From technology adopter to innovator: Singapore.” Edquist, Charles and Leif Hommen, Small country innovation systems: globalization, change and policy in Asia and Europe (pp. 71–112). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Wong, P. (1999). National innovation systems for rapid technological catch-up: an analytical framework and a comparative analysis of Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, DRUID Summer Conference on National Innovation Systems, Industrial Dynamics and Innovation Policy, Rebuild: DRUID, Online at: http://www.druid.dk/conferences/summer1999/conf-papers/wong.pdf.
Wong, P., Ho, Y., & Singh, A. (2007). Towards an “entrepreneurial university” model to support knowledge-based economic development: the case of the National University of Singapore. World Development, 35(6), 941–958.
Yim, D. (2005). Korea’s National Innovation System and the Science and Technology Policy, Seoul: Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), Online at: ftp://ftp.ige.unicamp.br/pub/CT010/aula%208/sistema%20de%20inovacao%20coreano%20e%20institutos%20de%20pesquisa.pdf.
Zyl, H., Preez, N., & Schutte, C. (2007). Utilizing formal innovation models to support and guide industry innovation projects. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 18(2), 203–219.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Professor Mohammad Khorsheed is the former GE Innovation Officer in Saudi Arabia and the Secretary General of the Steering Committee for Saudi Innovation Ecosystem
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Khorsheed, M.S. Learning from Global Pacesetters to Build the Country Innovation Ecosystem. J Knowl Econ 8, 177–196 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-016-0362-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-016-0362-z