Cluster or Diversify? A Dilemma for Sustainable Local Techno-Economic Development

Phillips, Fred,Oh, Deog-Seong,Lee, Eung-Hyun World Technopolis Association 2016 World Technopolis Review Vol.5 No.2

By highlighting the efficiencies gained from regional specialization, the cluster concept has distracted economic development officials from their traditional role of diversifying regional and local economies. Clustering was a viable strategy for much of the 18 years following its original appearance in the literature. Now, two events cast doubt on the continued viability of cluster-based specialization. First, the digital convergence has blurred the boundaries that once separated one industry from another. An industry cluster strategy becomes difficult when the industry cannot be defined. Second, many cluster initiatives fail. Combining literature search with the system-theoretic notions of efficiency and redundancy, we find many factors moderate cluster success. This implies regions facing uncertain success in their cluster-building efforts should thoroughly understand their unique circumstances and build upon them. Regions with successful clusters are advised to aim for multiple related clusters or superclusters.

Cluster or Diversify? A Dilemma for Sustainable Local Techno-Economic Development

Fred Phillips,Deog-Seong Oh,Eung-Hyun Lee 세계과학도시연합 2016 World Technopolis Review Vol.5 No.2

By highlighting the efficiencies gained from regional specialization, the cluster concept has distracted economic development officials from their traditional role of diversifying regional and local economies. Clustering was a viable strategy for much of the 18 years following its original appearance in the literature. Now, two events cast doubt on the continued viability of cluster-based specialization. First, the digital convergence has blurred the boundaries that once separated one industry from another. An industry cluster strategy becomes difficult when the industry cannot be defined. Second, many cluster initiatives fail. Combining literature search with the system-theoretic notions of efficiency and redundancy, we find many factors moderate cluster success. This implies regions facing uncertain success in their cluster-building efforts should thoroughly understand their unique circumstances and build upon them. Regions with successful clusters are advised to aim for multiple related clusters or superclusters.

A View of China's Prospects, Obstacles, and Contradictions

Phillips, Fred World Technopolis Association 2019 World Technopolis Review Vol.8 No.1

If China can emerge from its current recession and complete its ongoing transition to technology-leader status, it will be an ever more dominant force in Asia and worldwide. Years spent living in Asia have spurred the co-Editor-in-Chief of this journal to offer informal comments on the status and prospects of China's socio-technical situation.

A View of China’s Prospects, Obstacles, and Contradictions

Fred Phillips 세계과학도시연합 2019 World Technopolis Review Vol.8 No.1

If China can emerge from its current recession and complete its ongoing transition to technology-leader status, it will be an ever more dominant force in Asia and worldwide. Years spent living in Asia have spurred the co-Editor-in-Chief of this journal to offer informal comments on the status and prospects of China’s socio-technical situation.

Social Capital, Social Engineering, and the Technopolis

Fred Young Phillips 세계과학도시연합 2012 World Technopolis Review Vol.1 No.2

The paper briefly presents the social and cultural context of technopolis development. It offers a catalog of the social considerations a technopolis designer must attend to. Technopolis planners may use this list for preliminary assessment and benchmarking of their region against others, and to reach a realistic view of the challenges facing a new technopolis project.

Social Capital, Social Engineering, and the Technopolis

Phillips, Fred Young World Technopolis Association 2012 World Technopolis Review Vol.1 No.2

The paper briefly presents the social and cultural context of technopolis development. It offers a catalog of the social considerations a technopolis designer must attend to. Technopolis planners may use this list for preliminary assessment and benchmarking of their region against others, and to reach a realistic view of the challenges facing a new technopolis project.

Triple Helix and the Circle of Innovation

Phillips, Fred World Association for Triple Helix and Future Stra 2014 Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia Vol.13 No.1

This paper positions the triple-Helix as a meso-level notion, an epicycle in a grander circle of technological change, institutional change, and psychological change. Because of the differing speeds of these several kinds of change, speed is proposed as a high-level system metric. This implies that what we commonly call bridging agencies or facilitators - lawyers, venture capitalists, incubators, etc. - are better called buffering agencies, as they help to engage entities changing at different speeds. They use human judgment as well as information technologies to choose feasible timing for these engagements. The paper highlights implications for thinking about innovation diffusion: The grand cycle of socio-technical change means we should, rather, think in terms of innovation reinforcement, or a circle of innovation.

Sharing Innovation’s Benefits

Deog-Seong Oh,Fred Phillips 세계과학도시연합 2015 World Technopolis Review Vol.4 No.3

WTR articles to date have addressed raising innovation capacity in lagging regions. We now move to the question of sharing the benefits of specific innovations, noting that one way to do this is to focus on a particular technology as a demonstration project within a capacity-building project. The word “sharing” implies mechanisms that go beyond simple buy-sell transactions. This paper catalogs a number of these mechanisms, which in fact include many well-known technology transfer techniques. The paper focuses in particular on two mechanisms, technology assessment and new institutions, the latter including three Korean institutions. A manager seeking to benefit from the several mechanisms currently must find them in as many different places. We therefore present the possible “roll-up” of sharing mechanisms as an opportunity in social entrepreneurship. We hope the paper will lead to an expanded list of sharing mechanisms, consideration of their feasibility in different regions, and ultimately a one-stop shop for managers seeking to benefit their own and other organizations by the sharing of innovations.

Sharing Innovation's Benefits

Oh, Deog-Seong,Phillips, Fred World Technopolis Association 2015 World Technopolis Review Vol.4 No.3

WTR articles to date have addressed raising innovation capacity in lagging regions. We now move to the question of sharing the benefits of specific innovations, noting that one way to do this is to focus on a particular technology as a demonstration project within a capacity-building project. The word "sharing" implies mechanisms that go beyond simple buy-sell transactions. This paper catalogs a number of these mechanisms, which in fact include many well-known technology transfer techniques. The paper focuses in particular on two mechanisms, technology assessment and new institutions, the latter including three Korean institutions. A manager seeking to benefit from the several mechanisms currently must find them in as many different places. We therefore present the possible "roll-up" of sharing mechanisms as an opportunity in social entrepreneurship. We hope the paper will lead to an expanded list of sharing mechanisms, consideration of their feasibility in different regions, and ultimately a one-stop shop for managers seeking to benefit their own and other organizations by the sharing of innovations.

Innovation Capabilities in Bio-Pharmaceutical R&D

Hyunju Rachel Kim,Fred Phillips KINFORMS 2013 Management Review Vol.8 No.1

Innovation is the key to success for any organization and distinguishes a firm from its competitors. Definitions of innovation vary by industries, as industrial features require distinctive innovation capabilities. This paper describes the biopharmaceutical industry’s idiosyncratic issues, innovation-related challenges, success factors, and a close relationship between corporate strategy and innovation. Currently, the biopharmaceutical industry needs to be better equipped to handle current market factors including the influence of globalization and new drug laws. To reflect the industrial challenges, this paper contextualizes biopharmaceutical innovation and its success factors, and frames distinctive innovation capabilities by literature and theories. This paper contends that innovation capability consists of managerial capability and its strategic behavior.