Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-21T23:39:15.012Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

From Learning to Creating: Biotechnology and the Postindustrial Developmental State in Korea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2016

Extract

South Korea is currently undergoing a process of industrial restructuring. As competitors in the Asian region have begun to catch up—in terms of technological know-how, investment mobilization, price competition, and human capital development—advanced Asian economies such as South Korea's have had to shift their industrial focus away from conventional manufacturing sectors toward postindustrial sectors including biotechnology, nanotechnology, and advanced information and communications technologies. As such, the ongoing processes of postindustrial restructuring in South Korea have involved a transition from the industrial learning paradigm to a new knowledge creation paradigm where technology innovation, rather than technology borrowing, is key. This article examines this transformative process in the area of biotechnology and bioindustry development. It specifically looks at how the South Korean developmental state has begun to reinvent itself in order to meet the challenges of innovation-driven industrialization.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © East Asia Institute 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Notes

Thanks to Stephan Haggard, Byung-Kook Kim, Xiaobo Lu, Andrew MacIntyre, and Louis Pauly, along with the anonymous reviewer, for their constructive comments on earlier drafts of this article. The author would also like to thank Nina Mansoori, Victor Parchment, and Uyen Quach for their research assistance.Google Scholar

1. Kim, Linsu, “National System of Industrial Innovation: Dynamics of Capability Building in Korea.” In Nelson, Richard, ed., National Innovation Systems (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1993), pp. 372373.Google Scholar

2. Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), National Science and Technology Statistical Indicators (Seoul: MOST, 2002). Small- and mediumsized enterprises comprise those with between 1 and 299 employees.Google Scholar

3. Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy (MOCIE), Vision and Development Strategies of the Bio Industry (internal document, July 2003).Google Scholar

4. Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, Vision and Development (internal documents, 2002).Google Scholar

5. Ostry, Sylvia and Nelson, Richard, Techno-Nationalism and Techno-Globalism: Conflict and Cooperation (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1995).Google Scholar

6. Daniele Archibugi and Simona Iammarino, “The Policy Implications of the Globalization of Innovation,” Research Policy 28 (1999).Google Scholar

7. Amsden, Alice, Asia's Next Giant: South Korea and Late Industrialization (Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1989).Google Scholar

8. Ahn, Soon-Il, “A New Program in Cooperative Research Between Academia and Industry,” Technovation 15, no. 4 (1995); Evans, Peter, Embedded Autonomy: States and Industrial Transformation (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1995); Masuyama, Seiichi and Vandenbrink, Donna, “Industrial Restructuring in East Asian Economies for the Twenty-First Century.” In Masuyama, Vandenbrink and Yue, Chia Sow, eds., Industrial Restructuring in East Asia: Towards the 21st Century (Singapore: Institute for Southeast Asian Stuides, 2001).Google Scholar

9. Krugman, Paul, “The Myth of Asia's Miracle,” Foreign Affairs (November/December 1994); Woo, Cheonsik, “Industrial Upgrading of Korea: Process, Prospects and Policies.” In Vandenbrink Masuyama and Chia Sow Yue, Industrial Restructuring in East Asia. Google Scholar

10. Kim, Eun-Mee, Big Business, Strong State: Collusion and Conflict in South Korean Development, 1960–1990 (Binghamton, N.Y.: SUNY Press, 1997).Google Scholar

11. Amsden, , Asia's Next Giant , pp. 8283; Evans, , Embedded Autonomy, p. 142.Google Scholar

12. Woo, Jung-En, Race to the Swift: State and Finance in Korean Industrialization (New York: Columbia University Press, 1991).Google Scholar

13. Evans, , Embedded Autonomy. Google Scholar

14. Ibid., p. 147.Google Scholar

15. Amsden, , Asia's Next Giant , p. 129.Google Scholar

16. Kim, , Big Business, Strong State. Google Scholar

17. Brooks, Harvey, “National Science Policy and Technological Innovation.” In Rosenberg, Nathan and Landau, Ralph, eds., The Positive Sum Strategy: Harnessing Technology for Economic Growth (Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1986); Guston, David, Between Politics and Science: Assuring the Integrity and Productivity of Research (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2000); Stokes, Donald, Pasteur's Quadrant: Basic Science and Technological Innovation (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1997).Google Scholar

18. Lundvall, Bengt-Ake, ed., National Systems of Innovation (London: Pinter, 1992).Google Scholar

19. Nelson, Richard, Understanding Technical Change as an Evolutionary Process (New York: Elsevier Science, 1987).Google Scholar

20. Interview with Beom-Su, Kim, deputy director, Biotechnology and Chemical Industries Division, MOCIE, July 9, 2003.Google Scholar

21. MOST, Statistical Indicators. Google Scholar

22. Ministry of Science and Technology, “R&D Budget Allocation” (internal document, 2003).Google Scholar

23. Interview with Suh, Joong-Hae Dr., fellow, Korea Development Institute, July 10, 2003.Google Scholar

24. Interview with Bae Tae-Min, deputy director, Biotechnology and Environmental Technology Division, MOST, July 11, 2003.Google Scholar

25. Lee, Musin, Son, Byoungho, and Om, Kiyong, “Evaluation of National R&D Projects in Korea,” Research Policy 25 (1996): 816.Google Scholar

26. Interview with Jeong-Woon, Kim Dr., head of technology transfer, Department of Technology Innovation, Korea Health Industry Development Institute, MOHW, July 8, 2003.Google Scholar

27. Government research institutes include the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). Two of the seven projects are located at the Seoul National University Campus. MOST/KISTEP (Ministry of Science and Technology/Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning), The 21st Century Frontier R&D Program (Seoul: MOST/KISTEP, 2002).Google Scholar

28. Interview with Nam-Hoon, Kang Dr., director, Industrial Innovation Division, MOCIE, July 11, 2003.Google Scholar

29. MOST, Statistical Indicators. Google Scholar

30. In this measure, “researchers” comprise those with either a Ph.D. or master's degree. Korea Industrial Technology Association (KITA), Major Indicators of Industrial Technology, 2002/2003 (Seoul: KITA, 2003), p. 130.Google Scholar

31. Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Statistical Data Book (Taejon: KIPO, 2001), pp. 911, 70–71.Google Scholar

32. Interview with Kim, Hye-Won Dr., director general, Korean Intellectual Property Office, May 27, 2003.Google Scholar

33. Mahmood, Ishta and Singh, Jasjit, “Technological Dynamism in Asia,” Research Policy 32 (2003): 1034.Google Scholar

34. Von Beuzekom, Brigette, “Biotechnology Statistics in OECD Member Countries: Compendium of Existing National Statistics.” Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development. Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry 6 (2001): 11.Google Scholar

35. Kim, Linsu, “National System of Industrial Innovation,” pp. 372–375; Suh, Joong-Hae, “Korea's Innovation System: Challenges and a New Policy Agenda,” INTECH Paper Series (Maastricht: United Nations University, July 2000), pp. 2526.Google Scholar

36. MOST, Statistical Indicators. Google Scholar

37. Chung, S. Y., “Building a National Innovation System Through Regional Innovation Systems,” Technovation 22 (2002): 488.Google Scholar

38. Noble, Gregory, Collective Action in East Asia: How Ruling Parties Shape Industrial Policy (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998); Sakakibara, Mariko and Cho, Dong-Sung, “Cooperative R&D in Japan and Korea: A Comparison of Industrial Policy,” Research Policy 31 (2002).Google Scholar

39. Suh, , “Emerging Patterns.” Google Scholar

40. North, Douglass, Institutions, Institutional Change, and Economic Performance (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1990).Google Scholar

41. Lundvall, Bengt-Ake, “User-Producer Relationships, National Systems of Innovation, and Internationalization.” In Foray, Dominique and Freeman, Christopher, eds., Technology and the Wealth of Nations (London: Pinter, 1993), pp. 282283.Google Scholar

42. McKelvey, Maureen, “How Do National Systems of Innovation Differ? A Critical Analysis of Porter, Freeman, Lundvall, and Nelson.” In Hodgson, Geoff and Screpanti, Ernesto, eds., Rethinking Economics: Markets, Technology, and Economic Evolution (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 1991), p. 132.Google Scholar

43. Orsenigo, Luigi, “The Dynamics of Competition in a Science Based Technology: The Case of Biotechnology.” In Foray, and Freeman, , Technology and the Wealth of Nations ; Rosenberg, Nathan, “Why Do Firms Do Basic Research (with Their Own Money)?” Research Policy 19 (1990): 166.Google Scholar

44. Interview with Nam-Hoon, Kang Dr., director, Industrial Innovation Division, MOCIE, July 11, 2003.Google Scholar

45. Lee, Keun and Lim, Chaisung, “Technological Regimes, Catching-Up, and Leapfrogging: Findings from the Korean Industries,” Research Policy 30 (2001).Google Scholar

46. Sell, Susan, Private Power, Public Law (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2003).Google Scholar

47. KIPO, Statistical Data Book , p. 102.Google Scholar

48. Interview with Kim, Hye-Won Dr., director general, Korean Intellectual Property Office, May 27, 2003.Google Scholar

49. Maskus, Keith, Intellectual Property Rights in the Global Economy (Washington, D.C.: Institute for International Economics, 2000), p. 92.Google Scholar

50. Woo, , Race to the Swift. Google Scholar

51. OECD, Science, Technology, and Industry Outlook. Drivers of Growth: Information Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, special edition (OECD, 2001), p. 239, emphases added.Google Scholar

52. Woo, , “Industrial Upgrading,” pp. 288289.Google Scholar

53. Cited in Suh, , “Emerging Patterns,” p. 4.Google Scholar

54. The Foreign Investment Promotion Act was promulgated in November 1998, resulting in the creation of the Korea Investment Service Center (KISC) under the jurisdiction of the MOCIE.Google Scholar

55. Korea Investment Service Center (KISC), KISC: First Five Years 1998–2002 (Seoul: KISC, 2003), p. 15.Google Scholar

56. Greenlees, Donald, “Cloning Conundrum,” Far Eastern Economic Review (March 11, 2004).Google Scholar

57. Interview with Nam-Hoon, Kang Dr., director, Industrial Innovation Division, July 11, 2003.Google Scholar

58. MOCIE, “Vision and Development.” Google Scholar

59. Bio Venture Center (BVC), Bio Venture Center (Taejon: Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology [KRIBB], 2003).Google Scholar

60. Interview with Lee, Dae-Sil Dr., director, Bio Venture Center, KRIBB, May 23, 2003.Google Scholar