Technological Development and Technology Policy in East Asia: Prospects for Technological Leap-Frogging

This paper profiles some important factors which underly successful technological catch up in East Asian economies within a relatively short space of time in defiance of glaring obstacles to development. The study shows that while there are many different approaches and strategies for technological success, the mix and effectiveness of these ingredients are constantly changing in response to new dynamic challenges emanating from both within and outside East Asia. This in turn demands a new level of creativeness and agility on the part of technology policy and technology policymakers in meeting the challenge to transition to the next technological frontier.