China’s Production and Innovation System – History and challenges ahead

Research seminar with Prof. Bengt-Åke Lundvall

Observers around the world are impressed by the rapid growth of China’s economy. While outside observers tend to focus on the success story of unprecedented growth, policy documents and recent domestic debates in China have pointed to the need for a shift in the growth trajectory with stronger emphasis on ‘endogenous innovation’ and ‘harmonious development’.

Lundvall presents the paper 'China’s Production and Innovation System – History and challenges ahead' (co-authored with Shulin Gu, Tsinghua University). The paper is an attempt both to explain the high rate of economic growth and to specify some limits for future growth. It captures the current characteristics of China’s production and innovation system; how they were shaped by history and what major challenges they raise for the ambition to stimulate 'home-spun' innovation.

Bengt-Åke Lundvall is professor in economics at Department of Business Studies at Aalborg University and Professor at Department for Technological Economics and Management the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing. His research is organized around a broad set of issues related to innovation systems and learning economies. Lundvall has co-ordinated the IKE-group in Aalborg since 1977 and co-ordinated the world-known Danish network DRUID 1996-2001. Currently Lundvall co-ordinates the Globelics network and the China-wide network Cicalics. He gives policy advice on innovation policy to international organisations and to national governments.

As seats are limited please register in advance by contacting Peter Gammeltoft (email: pg.int@cbs.dk, ph. 3815 3369) or the ARC secretariat (3815 3409, email: arc.int@cbs.dk).

Arranged by Asia Research Centre and INT.

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 (pdf format)