Science, Technology & Innovation Policy Review - the Asian experience Yu Wing Yin University of Bielefeld
POLICY FOR SCIENCE SCIENCE FOR POLICY
POLICY FOR SCIENCE P Resource allocation P Manpower development P Institutional development P Priority determination P Assessment P Forecasting
SCIENCE FOR POLICY PEducation PIndustry PHealth PEnvironment PEnergy PTransportation PCommunication PDefence PScience & Technology
Arthur C. Clarke Science... is the enemy of... fanatism and superstition Market fanatism is the enemy of science
LONG RETURN TIME LONG GESTATION PERIOD CAPITAL INTENSIVE HIGH RISK INFLEXIBLE
APPROPRIABILITY LEARNING TIME DELAY
NOT FINITE DOMAINED No private sector shrinkage corresponding to public sector expansion No zero-sum game
EXPERT GOOD SEARCH GOOD EXPERIENCE GOOD
MARKET FAILURES P Economy of scale P Economy of scope P Appropriability P Co-ordination P Non-tradability P Missing market P Time delay P Expert good P Public good
When the level of science and technology development is low, government intervention is necessary.
Most Asian countries have national strategy or plan for S&T development Some countries have a special S&T budget
Budgeting for S & T Incremental resourcing not adequate S&T development discrete and long-ranged
S&T MOSTLY IN PUBLIC SECTOR IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FIRM LEVEL APPROACH INAPPROPRIATE
SERENDIPITY TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITY
POLICY INSTRUMENTS DIRECT Scientific & Technological Education & Training Research & Development Scientific & Technological Services Technology Transfer
INDIRECT POLICY INSTRUMENTS Financial incentives Legislation Institutional action Marketing & Promotion
TARGETING UNIVERSAL AREAS P Information technology P Micro-electronics PNew materials P Biotechnology SPECIFIC AREAS
TECHNOLOGY APPROACH INDUSTRY APPROACH
EARLY STAGE Export promotion Import substitution R&D funding merit based LATER STAGE Technology innovation Private sector investment Relevance important in R&D funding
CASTASIA I 1968 Apex body in charge of S&T policy-making 1 % of GDP for R&D
CASTASIA II 1982 Institutional provision for S&T policy exists in most countries Far from target of 1% of GDP for R&D
Japan 3.15 Korea 2.63 Taiwan 2.45 2 % Singapore 2.13 China 1.34 1 % India 0.84 0.3% Hong Kong 0.69 Malaysia 0.69 Thailand 0.26 Philippines 0.14 Indonesia 0.04
JAPAN Science & Technology Agency alongside Ministry of Science, Education and Culture
THAILAND National Science & Technology Development Agency set up to complement Ministry of Science, Technology and Energy
CHINA State Science & Technology Commission changed to Ministry of Science & Technology
NCST (National Council for Science & Technology) Approves and reviews policies APEX BODY Policy formulation NRC (National Research Council) 2nd level body Advice & funding
Science & technology portfolio Policy co-ordination New function development
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT New dedicated institutions Flexibility Variation to cater for different fields More than one channel
BRAIN DRAIN Net exporters of talents Insufficient local opportunity for personal development Change in circumstances Information technology
Korea appealed to nationalism Taiwan used high salaries
CHINA Liberal policy since 1982 15,000 going abroad annually 5000 returning
SINGAPORE Reconsidering bond policy
MISMATCH Perceived or actual Employers - unwilling to invest in training prefer ready-made staff Graduates - inappropriately employed gained irrelevant experience Vicious cycle
Intermediary Agency Choi Hyung-Sup KIST Conversion mechanism Spawning ground ITRI in Taiwan
FINANCING OF TECHNOLOGY PFUNDS PBUSINESS ACUMEN PTECHNICAL EXPERTISE
TRIANGULAR LINKAGE GOVERNMENT ACADEMIC COMMUNITY PRIVATE SECTOR PUBLIC CONSTITUENCY
Government-industry cooperative mechnisms Power steering Government supply resources Entrepeneurs provide market sense Joint technology development Self-guiding interactive leverage
PRIVATIZATION PANACEA OR EUPHORIA? ORGANIZATIONAL FLEXIBILITY MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC FUNCTIONS SMALL GOVERNMENT - RHETORIC
BRITISH COLONIAL EXPERIENCE Negative attitudes towards science Need to de-colonize subtle values Practical short-term return We want the best!
COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE IDEOLOGY Do not invest in S&T if one cannot excel in it Does not apply to S&T
S&T should be near apex of govt Counter divide and rule Convince other sectors S&T awareness in total population
Late starter advantage Environment friendly technology
Commonwealth universities Slower to evolve than the centre Civil service structure Does not facilitate universityindustry collaboration
REGIONAL CO-OPERATION Maturityi ns&tdevelopment Competitionf romwestern countries GlobalisationandIT
CONSTRAINTS Institutions - Development banks Asian Monetary Fund Enterprises - Asian MNEs
PROSPECTS Leap frog Internet as equaliser