Abstract

The nature of the state and whether it is able to create a national innovation system have been the primary variables determining the direction of technology policy. This article considers five major cases: Taiwan and Korea, India, China, and Tanzania. Two of the cases, Taiwan and Korea, represent Newly Industrializing Economies, while India and China represent emerging continental economies. All four have been, to varying degrees, successful instances. Taiwan and Korea were able to link industrial development with applied technology development, while China and India had mixed successes and took much longer to realize technology policy goals. Tanzania illustrates the difficulties encountered by developing countries in creating a science and technology infrastructure. The article also presents theoretical implications of these cases, and assesses shortcomings in technology policy literature.