The Quest for Global Competitiveness: Promotion of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Universities in Singapore
Abstract
The economy of Singapore has been continuously reforming since its independence. In the late 1980s, the economy of Singapore depended heavily on the vibrant manufacturing sector formed by foreign direct investment and multinational companies. This article critically reviews the policies and reform measures adopted by the Singapore government in the last two decades. These measures were employed to transform its university sector and drive them to engage in the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship through partnership with the industry and business for innovation and technological advancement. The analysis reveals the uniqueness of the Singapore model in strengthening university–enterprise cooperation to achieve the national goal of promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.
Keywords
entrepreneurship enterprising university enterprise–university cooperation Singapore statist model in governanceNotes
Acknowledgements
The author thanks the Research Grant Council of the HKSAR Government for providing funding support in conducting fieldwork and survey in Singapore. Part of the findings reported in this article was generated from the funded project HKIEd GRF 750210, ‘Fostering Entrepreneurship and Innovation: A Comparative Study of Changing Roles of universities in East Asia’. Part of the materials especially the policy background and strategies adopted by universities in fostering closer cooperation with the industry/business in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship are based upon adapted/revised materials of the author’s previous publication (Mok, 2013).
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