Knowledge produced by the university and public research institutions has been viewed traditionally as a public good contributing to technological innovation and economic growth. The Chinese government has advocated an application-oriented science policy since the 1950s, with emphasis on promoting science-industry linkages. As major assistants to enterprises, Chinese universities and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS) have been playing a key role in conducting cutting-edge research and effectively transferring knowledge to Chinese industries in order to enhance their competitiveness.
This study analyzes industrialization of knowledge from Chinese universities and CAS from both macro and micro perspectives.
In the macro perspective, by analyzing the recent studies on the Chinese national innovation system as well as university-run enterprises and CAS-run enterprises in China, which are distinctively Chinese institutional arrangements, this study shows that the traditional model of knowledge industrialization is being restructured and substituted by a model that is more open, horizontal and based on a diversified network. This indicates the transformation of the Chinese national innovation system. Such open, horizontal and diversified network-based innovation system enhances significantly the regional innovation system and collaboration of industry, university, and research institutes. Given such circumstances, the Chinese university and CAS play an important role in promoting technological innovation.
In the micro perspective, based on the ‘Record Filing of Patent Licensing’ from China’s State Intellectual Property Office(SIPO) and successful cases, we analyze the characteristics of knowledge industrialization of Chinese universities and CAS. The results are as follows: First, electrical engineering and chemistry are the main fields utilizing patents. Second, patent licensing is concentrated in economically developed regions, such as Jiangsu province, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province. Third, local government is the source of institutional force that imposes or try to facilitate industry-university-research institute collaboration regardless of the geographic distance among them. Fourth, among universities, ‘Industry Characteristic Universities(zhuan ye xing daxue)’ have shown better performances in terms of patent licensing. Fifth, universities and CAS have established scientific & technological enterprises with tech-needy firms to engage in commercialization directly and more effectively. Sixth, professors and scientists have been accumulating the industrial technology and knowhow for 20~30 years while serving in additional positions as CEOs or bureaucrats, for better performance of knowledge industrialization.
Our findings could produce useful implications for policy-making related to Korea’s innovation system and collaboration among industry, universities, and research institutes. In this regard, the first issue that stands out is the fact that, historically, there has been poor interaction between universities and industry with respect to research and innovation in Korea. However, given the increasing demands of a knowledge-based economy, Korean government should see universities as agents of innovation and lead them to promote academic innovation based on their respective characteristics and competitiveness. The second point of emphasis here is that it is necessary to establish a highly qualified public research institution not unlike the CAS to respond more fully to the challenges of innovation and more fundamentally to the nation’s innovative capacity. Third, open innovation system is required for collaboration among government, industry, universities, and research institutes. Fourth, the Korean government should enhance a rewards system to encourage innovative research. Rational system of rewards and incentives for individuals who are driving innovation can stimulate the country’s innovative capacity. Finally, Chinese universities and CAS are taking advantage of government support and developing a presence of their own in industries that Korea considers its strategic industries, such as robot technology, biotechnology, environmental technology, petrochemical technology, medical devices and mega science projects. The Korean government should enhance efforts to boost institutional efficiency in knowledge industrialization while expanding collaboration with China in scientific research and technological problem solving.