Miao, T; (2013) The birth, growth, and dynamics of innovation systems in less-favoured regions: A case study on the Optics Valley of China, Wuhan (Miao, T, Trans.). Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Science parks (SPs) have been gaining momentum worldwide in the new century as a concrete way of promoting high-tech industries. In China, industrial and science parks of various kinds have become an important device not only to boost innovation but also to alleviate the severe regional disparities. Nevertheless, due to defective political auditing and data constraints, the birth, growth, and dynamics of these cultivated clusters, as well as their present contributions, are still little understood. This PhD thesis develops the theoretical and empirical understanding of SPs as instruments of innovation promotion and regional development in less-favoured countries/regions from the standpoint of innovation system theory. It argues that the existing theoretical foundation underpinning SPs needs revision by a framework that takes account of historic evolution and relationship patterns, and that the existing empirical studies need to be moved beyond political evaluations which neglect temporal and spatial differences and the multi-dimensions of these SPs. The outcome of this thesis is an eclectic four-quadrant model for analysing the dynamics of SPs, which is employed in an original case study on the Optics Valley of China, Wuhan (OVC). The thesis focuses on one particular high-tech industry, optoelectronics, in OVC. Original data are obtained through an extensive face-to-face questionnaire survey of 138 companies, as well as 55 interviews with representatives of public institutions and private agencies on different levels. Qualitative analysis reveals a rich growth history of this potential innovation system, which is accompanied by profound power redistributions between different domains and a strong government intervention. Quantitative analysis investigates the influence of companies’ entrepreneurship, internal resources, and external environment on their general and innovation performance. The results reveal the multiple dimensions of companies’ entrepreneurship and the diverse factors that influence companies’ economic and innovation achievements.

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