• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.235-286
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• 2018

The aim of paper is to develop an alternative framework for the study of technological innovation systems. In contrast with conventional literature, this analytical framework is designed for entrepreneurs, i.e. actors, at the micro level rather than policy-makers at the meso or macro level. Herein, the entrepreneurial innovation system is conceptually refined by synthesizing knowledge regarding technological innovation and innovation systems. Drawing upon the intrinsic technological identity essential for innovation, the entrepreneurial innovation system is shown to involve three core changes in terms of technology, organization and market, and their couplings within its internal boundary over time. This analytical framework also takes into account the fact that the innovation system is influenced by and copes with the external environment during its evolution. Moreover, the framework of the entrepreneurial innovation system considers the recent trend of sustainable development. The technical and socio-economic characteristics of a nuclear powersystem are studied empirically to articulate an analytical framework that should be very useful for technological innovation in other energy systems by reflecting their unique features.

• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.92-115
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• 2016

This paper presents how Korea succeeded in developing an indigenous nuclear power plant model over fifty years. Long-lasting national R&D for technical progress and the Korean government for managerial process were the two pillars in the build-up of indigenous Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) technological capabilities. The concept of technological capabilities is used to examine its evolutionary process with a qualitative and longitudinal approach. The government had a developing country ambition to formulate a strategic plan for technical self-reliance on nuclear power plant while establishing the country’s institutions and organization structure for the plan. Under the government leadership, it was national R&D that led to the resolution of a good number of technological problems, efficiently, by absorbing imported technologies and effectively adapting them to local circumstances.

• Proceedings of the Technology Innovation Conference
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• 1999.06a
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• pp.176-202
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• 1999

Korea has exerted her efforts to assimilate nuclear power technology, and reportedly localized 95 percent of nuclear power technology by 1995. This paper investigates the evolution of nuclear power program in Korea to exploit the development process of the nuclear power industry and key factors for the technological localization of nuclear power plant. In developing countries, an imitative catching-up process can be shown as a course for developing the absorptive capacity of foreign technology, which depends on prior knowledge base and the intensity of effort. The process of technological learning consists of five stages including preparation, implementation of foreign technology, acquisition of peripheral technology, acquisition of core technology, and improvement f foreign technology. Moreover, this paper discusses six essential factors that have influenced the successful achievement of technological localization of nuclear power plants in Korea. They include the role and strategies of the government, the leading role of utility firm, the development and cooperation of the related organizations, the development of human resources and their efforts, market conditions and the assistance of foreign donors, and social conditions. Finally, this paper discusses about implications offered by the Korean experience for other developing countries.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technology Innovation Society Conference
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• 2002.05b
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• pp.221-228
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• 2002

In viewing R&D as a series of activities of problem solving in the course of technological learning in developing countries, national R&D is very likely to play an pivotal role in incubating and improving industrial technology and competitiveness, especially for S&T-intensive industries, such as nuclear fuel industry. To this end, the national R&D needs to be primarily designed to reinforce technological capabilities of the country including government research institutes (GRIs), industrial firms, etc., from the initial stage of absorption as well as at the innovation stage. Based on this strategic role, national R&D performed by GRIs should provide scientific knowledge and core technologies which are required for the absorbption of foreign technology and development of indigenous technological capabilities with which domestic technological efforts are made to successfully achieve not only technological imitation but also innovation in global sense.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technology Innovation Society Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.531-544
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• 2001

The use and development of nuclear energy has a long history more than 5o years and is facing a rapid changing environment in technological innovations in order to meet the requirements of energy supply, environmental conservation and social and political demands. The innovation of nuclear technologies are also necessary continuously in order to contribute for the progress of national economy and industry development, improvement of public health, progress of nation science and technology and furthermore is very important for the survival of nuclear industry and strengthening of competition of nuclear technologies. Major directions of the innovation of nuclear technologies would be the enhance ment of safety and economy of the use of nuclear energy, securing od nuclear proliferation-resistance, safe management of radioactive wastes, technology development for newly emerging markets and improvement of public health.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.131-148
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• 2002

This paper explores how international political factors influence the role of conventional external factors in the course of technological learning. The research goes on to investigate whether the role of the techno-economic factors has changed due to the involvement of international political factors in the technological learning mechanism. To this end, this paper examines how US political intervention affected Korean technological learning in the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. The export policy, prior consent policy and international political influence of the US are employed as international political factors. The empirical findings show that international political factors are very likely to restrain the impact of the techno-economic factors on technological learning process. Accordingly, this paper hypothesizes that the role of techno-economic factors in the technological learning mechanism is weaker when international political intervention is involved.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.221-248
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• 2016

In this study, we conducted an in-depth literature review of the innovation characteristics of nuclear technology. We understood that the main issue may be a transition of fourth generation nuclear energy technology. We also analyzed a present status of Korean policy on nuclear energy technology and identified some implications for a successful settlement of the fourth generation nuclear energy technology. This study could provide some policy implications for maintaining the sustainable competitiveness of the fourth generation nuclear energy technology in Korea. According to our study, the factors that influence on a transition of nuclear energy technology are a policy-induced market for technical application and demonstration, stable and long-term resource allocation, constant interaction among stakeholders of innovation, accumulation of skill and know-how for an entire system. In addition, we conducted a case analysis on policy for Korean fourth generation nuclear energy technology. According to this case study, it would be necessary for Korea to pursue systematic training of human resources, active response to a social acceptance and reaction, establishment of specific plan for technical demonstration, long-term policy suggestion, and active promotion of constant interaction between stakeholders.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technology Innovation Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.359-368
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• 2003

In the early stage of 21th century, international nuclear society was on the active look out for new direction, and had a common recognition on the necessity of innovative reactor system. To achieve this purpose effectively, several international projects have been initiated for development of new nuclear energy systems that secure stable energy supply and have improved public acceptance, safety, and cost-effectiveness. In this study, status of international projects on future innovative nuclear energy systems and technology goals of future nuclear energy systems were surveyed, and the technological features of Generation IV nuclear energy system were described.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.1301-1311
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• 2022

Global climate change brings environmental quality sensitivity, especially in developed countries. Developed countries use non-renewable energy sources intensively both in their own countries and in other countries, they make productions that cause an enormous rate of increase in CO₂ emissions and unsustainable environmental costs. This has increased the interest in environmentally friendly alternative energy sources. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of nuclear energy consumption and technological innovation on environmental quality in G7 countries using annual data over the period 1970-2015. The Panel Threshold Regression Model was used for the analysis. Empirical findings have indicated that the relationship between nuclear energy consumption and carbon emissions differs according to innovation for nuclear power plants. It was also concluded that nuclear energy consumption reduces carbon emissions more after a certain level of innovation. This result shows that the increase in innovative technologies for nuclear power plants not only increases energy efficiency but also contributes positively to environmental quality.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.89-125
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• 2017

Complex product systems (CoPs) is a engineering-intensive products with high-ended design technology, which are closely linked with national economic growth and development of social infrastructures. Accordingly, in order to understand the technological evolution of CoPs, it is necessary to identify the macro-environmental drivers surrounding the CoPs and their impact on the technological evolution of the CoPS. Therefore, we investigate the effect of policy, economic and social drivers on the technological evolution of CoPS by implementing the longitudinal case study on nuclear power plant during the periods between 1950 and 2010s. Based on the analysis of various sources of secondary data and primary data through interviews, we found that the technological evolution of nuclear power plant is progressed as "Phase 1: Application research for peaceful utilization of nuclear energy" between 1950s and 1960s, "Phase 2: The first renaissance of nuclear energy" during 1970s, "Phase 3: Enhancement of safety and the catch-up of latecomers in nuclear energy" between 1990s and 2000s, and "Phase 4: Top prioritization of safety and the development of next generation reactors for the second renaissance of nuclear energy" since 2010s. We also found that various kinds of policy, economic and social drivers, such as energy policy, investment in technology development, economic growth and energy demand, social acceptability and environmental concern, have affected the technology evolution of nuclear power plant at each phase. We emphasize the role of macroenvironmental drivers in the technological evolution of CoPS. We also suggest that countries that endeavor to develop CoPs need to utilize those drivers for enhancing competitiveness and sustaining leadership.