Complexity and path dependence in biotechnology innovation systems

Jorge Niosi ()

Industrial and Corporate Change, 2011, vol. 20, issue 6, 1795-1826

Abstract: In commercial applications of biotechnology, there is no international convergence. On many critical dimensions, the United States is pulling ahead vis-à-vis most other developed or emerging countries, in spite of the efforts made by the potential catching-up nations. The article argues that the explanation lies in the institutional fabric that fosters commercial biotechnology: this institutional structure is too complex and costly, it exists mainly in the United States, and the followers either do not understand it, or are trapped with more inefficient institutions. The paper builds on biotechnology in order to theorize about institutions and their evolution in sectoral innovation systems. It also applies concepts and models from complex system theory. Copyright 2011 The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.

Date: 2011
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/icc/dtr065 (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:indcch:v:20:y:2011:i:6:p:1795-1826

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://academic.oup.com/journals

Access Statistics for this article

Industrial and Corporate Change is currently edited by Josef Chytry

More articles in Industrial and Corporate Change from Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Oxford University Press ().