• STI Policy Review
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.35-44
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• 2011

Korea has rapidly increased R&D investment over the last few decades and the intensity of R&D investment is among the highest in the world; however, there are serious concerns about R&D performance and R&D efficiency. This study is to improve the economic assessment methodology regarding a feasibility study for national R&D programs that are thought to be one of the most prominent ways to enhance R&D efficiency. In order to improve the methodology of economic assessment, a few of important factors such as technical or market uncertainty, spillover effect, and R&D contribution ratio should be covered in the model. The focus of this article is technological and market uncertainty that has a close relation with strategic flexibility and utilization potential to increase the value of R&D programs. To improve the current linear and definitive R&D process, a new framework with strategic flexibility is suggested, in which the result of economic assessment that considers technological and market uncertainty is reflected in planning. That kind of feedback process is expected to enhance the value of the program/project as well as R&D efficiency.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.63-92
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• 2010

Recent years have seen an intensified discussion in many OECD countries about the role and mission of public research in the innovation system. This discussion takes place in quite specific national contexts, but should benefit from international experience. However, whereas voluminous literatures address the changing governance methods, organizational forms and missions of universities, much less attention has been devoted to developing a common understanding of the challenges faced by non-university public research institutions. The main goals of this paper is to contribute to clarifying the nature of these challenges, outlines possible policy answers and draws some implications for Korea. In the first section, the paper uses available internationally comparable indicators to review trends in the contribution of government research institutes (GRIs) to R&D and innovation activities. In the second section, the paper identifies the current major changes in the dynamics of innovation that may call for further adjustments in the positioning, organization and steering of public research institutes. Finally, the paper outlines some strategic objectives and orientations for the reform of public research institutes as part of the broader agenda of the Korean innovation strategy.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2013

The Schumpeterian process of "creative destruction", associated with the emergence and diffusion of new radical, so-called "general purpose" technologies, has throughout history impacted wealth and income, jobs creation, jobs displacement, and the emergence and submergence of new hotspots of innovation. Emerging countries have benefited most from such a renewing of those societies' dynamics, leading them to higher levels of economic development and welfare. Doing so they have shown a remarkable capacity in moving upstream in the value chain, from outsourcing of manufacturing activities to autonomous process technology development, product development, design, and applied research. At the same time however, such Schumpeterian processes have now and then turned into exactly opposite processes of "destructive creation." Such processes seem to have become common among what could be called "submerging" economies: innovation only benefitting a few at the expense of many with as a result an opposite pattern of a long term reduction in overall welfare, productivity, and employment growth.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.54-73
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• 2013

In a knowledge economy, accelerating the pace of knowledge building and the rapid acquisition of knowledge are keys to innovative development. However, the development of the commercialization of research results and formation of new start-up companies are often not as active as they should be with a lack of motivation and incentive being one of the contributing factors for the failure to take action. In Taiwan and Japan, the reason that widely advocated idea of industry-academia collaboration is to help advance the technological capabilities of research and development as well as produce economic benefit. The assistance rendered by the government during the transformation and the assessment of outcomes from entrepreneurial pursuits are key issues explored in this study. The results indicate that the network system in the national innovation system is important for entrepreneurship development. The domestic market of Taiwan is not as large as Japan and new entrepreneurs have to face global market challenges.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.135-161
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• 2013

This paper examines Japan's Science and Technology (S&T) Basic Plans in accordance with its S&T Basic Law. The Basic Plans promote two major innovation (Green Innovation and Life Innovation) towards the creation of new markets and jobs, specifically under the Fourth S&T Basic Plan enacted on August 2011. Successful smart community demonstration projects at four urban localities were launched under plans to promote Green Innovation research and development of renewable energy technologies. However, the expectation that renewable energy such as solar or wind power can replace nuclear power is not backed by sufficient evidence. Furthermore, the electricity produced by these sources is expensive and unstable owing to its reliance on weather conditions. The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident on March 2011 has also seriously affected Japan's future energy plans. According to a government estimate, electricity charges would double if nuclear power generation were abandoned, imposing a heavy burden on the Japanese economy. Japan is in need of energy policies designed on the basis of more far-sighted initiatives.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.47-65
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• 2012

Appropriation is essential for innovators to succeed. Traditionally, among various appropriation mechanisms, patents and secrecy have received attention, and the differential role of patents has been highlighted according to different industries or sectors. These discussions give a rough idea, however, and do not yield concrete directives for strategies in the context of innovation management. This paper describes an analysis of the effect of a firm's position within the value chain and the objectives of innovative activities with appropriation mechanisms. Multivariate analysis of diverse appropriation mechanisms using Korean innovation survey data revealed a specific combination of mechanisms and significant determinants in the context of objectives of innovative activities.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.66-78
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• 2012

China is becoming a global hot topic because of its rapid economic growth. However, the country show signs of not meeting the expectation of retaining its long-term industrial competitiveness and economic growth, especially with a widening rich-poor gap and natural resource exhaustion. Realizing inclusive growth requires study of an inclusive innovation solution. In this paper, we analyze the feasibility and development path of China's inclusive innovation based on the framework of a National Innovation System, identify examples of inclusive innovation in China, and seek to provide policy suggestions for China's future sustainable development.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.63-79
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• 2012

Regional innovation systems and clusters represent a fashionable conceptual basis for regional innovation policies in many industrialized countries (including South Korea). Due to questions related to climate change and environment-friendly energy production, the green industry has been increasingly discussed in relation to regional innovation systems and clusters. This explorative paper analyzes these discussions and critically examines the emergence of green clusters in South Korea based on the case of the wind power cluster in Jeonbuk Province. It tentatively concludes that the role of the central government is too powerful and the role of regional actors (policy-makers and entrepreneurs) is too weak for the successful emergence of green clusters.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.55-73
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• 2011

Intermediaries are presenting not only transactional information that orchestrates electronic transaction, but also market related information and knowledge useful for sellers' understanding of the market status. However, we do not have strong evidence that the market related information and knowledge is properly utilized by sellers and that it has an actual influence on sellers' performance. According to the research result, absorptive capacity and the pattern of information system utilization is statistically significant to sellers' performance mediated by operational efficiency and market knowledge creation. Especially, explorative utilization of information system and realized absorptive capacity has a stronger influence on sellers' performance mediated by market knowledge creation. With this research result, this study maintains that sellers are required to absorb and utilize market related information and knowledge more actively through explorative utilization of information system to achieve better performance in the e-marketplace. On the other hand, intermediaries are recommended to provide abundant and valuable market related information and knowledge for the sellers to build up better e-marketplaces.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.24-35
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• 2015

This research constructs a data set regarding competition policy through a comprehensive review of previous studies, and performs a meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the price effects of deregulation. A structural econometric model is used to eliminate possible biases from heterogeneity of the studies,such as in publication types and measurement methods. Four types of regulations that deter competition are characterized and three groups of industries are made for drawing practical implications. We fnd that deregulation to promote competition reduces prices by 0.23% and that these estimated price effects are more stable when we control for the publication types and measurement ways. Easing regulations that restrict consumers' choice is shown to be most effcient in promoting competition, lowering prices by 0.7%. This is followed by eliminating the limitation in the number of frms in the industry, with 0.2% price reduction. Overall, the network and service industries are shown to be more responsive to deregulation than the R&D industry. These results could shed light on policy implementation when a pro-competition policy is called for due to restrictive regulations in the corresponding industries.