the national innovation systems of singapore and malaysia.pd

介绍新加坡和马来西亚的创新系统

The National Innovation Systems of

Singapore and Malaysia

Trevor Monroe

Self-Study with Professor Samphantharak

4/07/06

介绍新加坡和马来西亚的创新系统

Executive Summary

Technological development has been an important component of economic development in Singapore and Malaysia. Beginning in the seventies, both countries initiated economic transformation by successfully attracting foreign direct investment into their high-tech manufacturing sectors. By the eighties these countries developed into high-tech export platforms as foreign multinationals not only helped to stimulate economic growth but also provided benefits in the form of technology and knowledge spillovers. As both economies continue to grow more knowledge intensive, public policy is placing a greater emphasis on developing the infrastructure and human capital necessary to support domestic innovative capacity.

Introduction

In recent decades, as economic activity in both Singapore and Malaysia has grown more knowledge intensive, greater attention is being given towards the economic role of innovation. Because the ability to innovate will play a more prominent role in driving future economic growth, the national governments of both Singapore and Malaysia have accelerated policy efforts aimed at strengthening their national innovation systems. These efforts include the introduction of broad measures to improve performance in areas like R&D, education, entrepreneurial activity and knowledge flows--all of which are key determinants for innovative activity.

This paper will analyze the development of these national innovation systems beginning with a brief introduction of the role of innovation and an examination of the

介绍新加坡和马来西亚的创新系统

elements that comprise national innovation systems. The paper will incorporate analytic approaches from institutional thought and economic geography in order to assess the evolution of each country’s National Innovation System (NIS) and the role it will play in supporting future economic growth and development. Following this analysis will be a section that compares and contrast key determinants that drive innovative performance in each country and identify commonalities and differences.

Innovation and National Innovation Systems

Product, process and organizational innovation are the types of innovation with the most relevant applications towards economic development. Innovation in these areas is considered an interactive process that involves the novel application of economically valuable information across various sections of a production network or value chain. The most important determinants of these types of innovation include; industry R&D, university research, highly skilled labor, and network and firm characteristics.

Studies have accumulated from fields of economic geography and institutional perspectives that are particularly useful in helping to better understand and explain the relationship between innovation and economic activity. These two approaches often share commonalities and overlap, with scholars from both approaches emphasizing how geographic, cultural, firm characteristics and institutional factors shape innovative capability and economic development.

介绍新加坡和马来西亚的创新系统

While there is no one definition of a national innovation system, most definitions reflect the web of interactions within the system involving the flow of technology and information among society, firms, universities and government institutes. According to the OECD, which is undertaking a major assessment of national innovation systems, the innovative performance of a country depends to a large extent on how these various actors relate to each other as elements of a collective system of knowledge creation and with respect to the technologies they use. These relationships often take the form of joint research, personnel exchanges, cross-patenting, purchase of equipment and a variety of other channels.

From a geographic perspective innovation theory generally supports the idea that innovative activity is greater in areas with larger amounts of knowledge generating inputs, or clusters, which are systems of interconnected firms and institutions that play an important role competition.i Consequentially, innovational advantages often arise in areas with highly specialized clusters of related skills, technologies, and infrastructure, especially when these clusters are difficult to duplicate. These systems represent planned interactive enterprises that rely on close university-industry co-operation, where large and smaller firms establish network relationship with other firms, universities, research institutes, and government agencies based on public-private partnerships.ii According to the OECD (1999), the concept of clusters is closely linked to firms networking but it goes beyond that as it captures all forms of knowledge sharing and exchange within a specific locality.

The smooth operation of innovation systems depends on the fluidity of knowledge flows – among enterprises, universities and research institutions. It is widely recognized that knowledge, in the form of human capital and technology, are key drivers of

介绍新加坡和马来西亚的创新系统

economic growth. This includes both tacit knowledge, or know-how exchanged through informal channels, and codified knowledge, or information codified in publications, patents and other sources. The mechanisms that engender these knowledge flows include joint industry research, public/private sector partnerships, technology diffusion and movement of personnel.iii Investments in knowledge, such as in research and development, education and training, and innovative work approaches are widely consider …… 此处隐藏：20960字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……