Title: Leveraging multinational corporations, fostering technopreneurship: the changing role of S&T policy in Singapore

Authors: Poh Kam Wong

Addresses: Centre for Management of Innovation and Technopreneurship, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, 119260, Singapore

Abstract: Since political independence in 1965, Singapore has achieved remarkable economic growth through continuous industrial re-structuring and technological upgrading. This paper presents a framework suitable for analysing the national innovation system of small, late-industrialising economies, and applies it to examine how Singapore|s national innovation system has transformed over the years, and how public S&T policy has changed in response to the changing needs of the innovation system. In particular, the paper highlights four generic stages in the evolution of Singapore|s national innovation system, with the emphasis of public S&T policy shifting from assimilation and diffusion of technology through leveraging foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) to include an increasing focus on promoting indigenous R&D and technopreneurial start-ups in recent years. Implications from the analysis for Singapore|s future public S&T policy challenges are discussed.

Keywords: science and technology policy; national innovation system; industrial development; Singapore.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2001.002977

International Journal of Technology Management, 2001 Vol.22 No.5/6, pp.539-567

Published online: 09 Jul 2003 *

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