Building International Networks in the Global Biotechnology Innovation System in Post-Genomic Era

• In Event: Innovation, Biocapital and the Making of Post-Genomic Medicine - II

Abstract

Emerging technologies are new technologies which promise much for firms, industries, and economies. As one of the well-recognized emerging sectors, the biotechnology industry has received longitudinal policy and development attention since the 1970s until the recent post-genomic era. Gathering international collaboration data regarding joint publication, co-patenting, clinical trials, and commercialization activities (marketing) from multiple sources along the innovation value chain to examine the international collaborations between Taiwan, China, and the U.S., this paper aims to analyze the dynamic structures of the global innovation networks in the biotechnology sector in order to study the role of policies in enabling the international engagement of the biotechnology sector of Taiwan. Particular attention will be paid to the role that technology policies play in the transformation of scientific knowledge into commercial technologies across continents to observe the trend of shifting global technological power over the past three decades. The findings show that in the biotechnology sectors, the leading technological power has remained in the U.S. and has not shifted to East Asia, though East Asian countries have tried hard to promote biotechnology sectors through international engagement. While emerging technologies are mostly science-based and originally came from Western countries, policies for enhancing international technology transfer from technology frontier to the technology followers should be implemented earlier to shape the structure of the emerging industries at an earlier stage. Only then can the effects of the policy implementation be more efficient in enhancing the development of emerging technologies.

Author

• ShihHsin Chen, National Chiao Tung University