Catch-Up of Chinese Pharmaceutical Firms Facing Technological Complexity

Hao Hu () and Liming Zhang
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Hao Hu: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao
Liming Zhang: Business School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), 2015, vol. 12, issue 04, 1-19

Abstract: Technological complexity is an inevitable challenge for latecomer firms aiming to upgrade themselves. Applying a perspective of firms within sectoral system of innovation, this paper studies the catch-up efforts of the leading Chinese pharmaceutical firms in the past few decades. The findings show that technological complexity tends to lengthen catch-up process, raise capability requirement, require more networking, and demand complicated institution design, which asks for a more evolutionary catch-up strategy with self-investment into system capability and network competence. The findings of this article provide references for catch-up efforts in other industries of technological complexity.

Keywords: Latecomer firm; technological complexity; pharmaceutical industry; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1142/S0219877015500170

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