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This paper examines how knowledge gained by the diaspora abroad played a strategic role in driving technological catch up in the integrated circuit industry in Taiwan. The evidence shows that efforts led by the government created conditions for the return and circulation of strategic human capital and the evolution of the absorptive capacity necessary to drive technological catch up. The integrated circuit industry was successful in getting human capital endowed with tacit and experiential knowledge to return and to circulate with considerable rooting in Hsinchu Science Industrial Park, which helped propel the integrated circuit industry in Taiwan to the technological frontier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial clusters evolve dynamically as the external environment changes. To better understand the nature of cluster evolution, which has nurtured economic growth in early 2000s, strategy and organisation scholars have attempted to unpack contributors to cluster evolution from the perspective of the ‘environmental uncertainty’ and ‘resource abundance’ effects. The paper adopts and extend an earlier extant model through empirical testing of the thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industrial cluster in Taiwan, a developing country. This study modifies the extant network model by adding a diffusion of technological innovation index to cluster evolving. Using the extended case study, the study examines the dynamic evolutionary process in the TFT-LCD industrial cluster. It was found that the evolution of the TFT-LCD industrial cluster resembles the theoretical argument in some respects. The characteristics of network change are modified according to these results. Implication for policymakers and decision-makers of developing countries are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: It is difficult to design, implement, and manage renewable energy projects in Taiwan without a provision for capacity building enabling the application of modern technologies and techniques. The techno-economic potential of renewable energy technologies (RETs) is substantial. However, it is not certain that economically viable RETs will be utilized since this is greatly influenced by social, institutional, and political factors. To move from activities that enhance the current fossil fuel-based lock-ins and create an environment that increases the chance of successful transfer and diffusion of RETs, the Sunshine Power Cities project was established in southern Taiwan in 2005. This project was initiated by the Bureau of Energy and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Here, a detailed evaluation of the project is carried out by retrospectively analyzing whether or not it strengthened local renewable energy innovations to develop Sunshine Cities as part of the strategy to help their cities gain RET status and in the process construct shared national and city identities. This evaluation shows that this renewable energy (RE) program strengthens most key processes in an innovation system conducive to technology transfer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the face of speedy revolution of high technology, the advanced technology becomes one of the key drivers to enhance productivity in a firm or even in a country. In order to compete in the global environment, the ability and effectiveness of acquiring new technology are essential for firms, especially for the traditional machinery industry. In Taiwan, the societal structure is built on the foundation of Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Thus most new technologies need and depend on the technology transfer (TT) from international firms and research institutes. Due to the complicity of influential factors of TT, such as industrial feature (IF), organizational feature (OF), personnel feature (PF) and technological feature (TF), difficulties are encountered in evaluating the effectiveness of TT. This study develops a rule-based decision support mechanism using fuzzy set theory and the method of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate the effectiveness of TT. Also, a statistic analysis (Statistics Package for Social Science, SPSS) is adopted to confirm the results of fuzzy AHP analysis. This study finds that prior successful TT experience, workers’ positive attitude, proper authorization, and more codification exist in a novel technology are highly influential. Those factors are important in concern when a firm launching TT. Furthermore, firms’ age and personnel educational background are regardless. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study applies the technological innovation system framework to the case of the fuel cell sector in Taiwan. Many Asian latecomers, such as Taiwan, tend to adopt a top-down approach to emphasize the importance of environmental issues but the result is limited. We aim to take Taiwan's fuel cell innovation system as an example to explore why Taiwan has formulated a technological innovation system to engage universities, research institutes, and firms to undertake R&D and entrepreneurial activities, but the results are still limited with respect to innovation and commercialization. This paper identifies the problems and challenges in Taiwan's fuel cell innovation system by using an embedded case study to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the systems in seven system functions. The study contributes to the increased understanding for the development of renewable energy from the perspective of latecomer nations whereas the mechanism behind technological transition and the strategies of actors within technological innovation systems deserve closer attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a framework for exploring technology transfer externality of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), a national industry technology development research institution in Taiwan over the past three decades. The specific diffusion effects and external impact were quantitatively assessed. High multiplier effects derived from ITRI's spin-off activities are concluded profound. Finally, being a non-profit R&D institution inherited with common properties of public goods, ITRI has created a unique and valuable role to foster Taiwan's high-tech sector. The innovative ITRI model should provide important managerial implications for large R&D institutes as well as emergent countries to initiate and operate projects with unavoidable high risk but desirable enormous externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]