Innovation and the State: Political Choice and Strategies for Growth in Israel, Taiwan, and Ireland [Hardcover]

Dan Breznitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0300120184 | ISBN-13: 978-0300120189 | Edition: Revised & Us

The 1990s brought surprising industrial development in emerging economies around the globe: firms in countries not previously known for their high-technology industries moved to the forefront in new Information Technologies (IT) by using different business models and carving out unique positions in the global IT production networks. In this book Dan Breznitz asks why economies of different countries develop in different ways, and his answer relies on his exhaustive research into the comparative experiences of Israel, Taiwan, and Ireland—states that made different choices to nurture the growth of their IT industries.

The role of the state in economic development has changed, Breznitz concludes, but it has by no means disappeared. He offers a new way of thinking about state-led rapid-innovation-based industrial development that takes into account the ways production and innovation are now conducted globally. And he offers specific guidelines to help states make advantageous decisions about research and development, relationships with foreign firms and investors, and other critical issues. (20090212)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Winner - The 2008 Don K. Price for the best book in Science and Technology Politics given by the American Political Science Association

Finalist - ForeWord Magazine 2007 Book of the Year Award (Political Science Category)

“In this important book, Dan Breznitz provides new insights into the very different strategies pursued by three very different countries—Israel, Taiwan and Ireland—that each used to post remarkable post-War growth records. This is a must read for policy makers and citizens in all countries that are banking on high-tech to sustain and accelerate growth in their countries.”—Robert E. Litan, Vice President, Research and Policy, The Kauffman Foundation, and, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution
 
 

(Robert E. Litan )

"The research in the book is painstaking. . . . Those interested in learning the stories of high-tech in these three fascinating cases will be richly rewarded by this clearly written and easily read book. "—Sean O''Riain, Pacific Affairs

(Sean O'Rain Pacific Affairs )

About the Author

Dan Breznitz is assistant professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology. He lives in Atlanta.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; Revised & Us edition (August 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300120184
• ISBN-13: 978-0300120189
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,212,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Innovation Policy for the 21st century, July 19, 2007

By 

I. Kant "ender314" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Innovation and the State: Political Choice and Strategies for Growth in Israel, Taiwan, and Ireland (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book! Fans of international business, technology, innovation, and/or economic development would do well to read it. And if you are interested in the IT industry, it should also be on your list.

Basically, it's an extremely well-researched book about the development of highly successful IT industries in Ireland, Taiwan, and Israel. Breznitz spent some four years interviewing policymakers and innovators in these countries. This book reports what he found.

With a chapter each on Ireland, Taiwan, and Israel, Breznitz discusses in depth their specific development strategies & policies, how they came to be, and how well they succeeded in producing competitive IT firms.

He shows that globalization is *not* driving all nations towards the same development models or innovation strategies. Instead, Breznitz shows that Ireland, Taiwan, and Israel each used very different policy approaches, and each with wildly different degrees of government intervention, to achieve competitiveness in the global IT sector.

Another interesting point is Breznitz's concept of "fragmentation of production" (the breakup of the production process into different locations around the globe). This is a fairly big idea and he illustrates it well.