Design systemic innovation policy for regions in developing country : Case of Zhejiang, China

Abstract

Innovation policy has been a dynamic research area in innovation study. At present, numerous approaches have been verified and suggested in relation to the innovation policy formulation. However, less attention is paid to regions in developing world. An attempt is made in this thesis towards that direction. Firstly, I argue that from system of innovation theory perspective, innovation policy practice for regions in developed world is a problem solving based process, due to the path dependency of innovation policy and the development level of advanced economies. Secondly, as regions in developing world to certain level can not be deemed as regional systems of innovation, the policy departure point should be constructing the necessary components and relations of a system of innovation. Then, systemic approaches concerning innovation policy making can be applied. To support this argument, the innovation policy practice of Zhejiang (China) is examined by the framework developed in the theoretical section of the thesis. It is concluded that without this innovation policy departure point and subsequent systemic approaches concerning various aspects of innovation policy practice, even a prudentially elaborated innovation policy package would miss vital ingredients of a system of innovation. This, of course, undermines the innovativeness of regions in developing world.