Upgrading China's Information and Communication Technology Industry

State-Firm Strategic Coordination and the Geography of Technological Innovation

This book effectively challenges the conventional wisdom regarding the cluster-innovation relationship and provides convincing evidence to show that the prevailing theoretical models derived from Anglo–American experiences cannot be uncritically applied to Chinese reality. This book introduces a new theory of state-firm coordination to explain why and how some Chinese ICT firms have turned out to be more innovative than others. Perspectives from the viewpoint of economic geography, institutional economics, political science, and regulation theory have been provided to throw light on the enigma that is China's ICT industry. Empirically, the book provides state-of-the-art findings to clarify the confusion and misunderstanding about the exact nature of the ICT industry in China. This book has essentially set a new baseline and made definitive contribution to knowledge production about China's economic geography. Methodologically, it shows how original, critical, and independent research can be undertaken effectively and innovatively through cross-disciplinary theoretical interaction, deductive reasoning with hypotheses testing, combination of multiple means of data collection; integration of quantitative and qualitative methods; and structured presentation of research findings with extensive tabular, graphic, and cartographic illustrations.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Interpreting Technological Innovation Through Industrial Clustering
• Understanding China's Technological Innovation Through State-Firm Strategic Coordination
• The Geography of Technological Innovation in China's ICT Industry
• State-Firm Strategic Coordination and the Growth of the Integrated Circuit Design Industry in Shanghai
• State-Firm Strategic Coordination and the Growth of the ICT Industry in Shenzhen
• State-Firm Strategic Coordination and Technological Innovation in Shanghai and Shenzhen: A Comparative Study
• Conclusion

Readership: Undergraduates, graduates, researchers and professionals who are interested in China's economic geography and technological innovation. Business Schools, economics departments, and consultant firms with special interest in microeconomics will find the book beneficial and inspiring.
Key Features:

• A different viewpoint to examine China's ICT industry
• A new theoretical framework
• A unique methodology