Economic Development as a Learning Process

Variation Across Sectoral Systems

Edited by Franco Malerba, Professor of Applied Economics, Department of Management and Technology and President of ICRIOS , Bocconi University, Milan, Italy and Richard R. Nelson, formerly Columbia University, US

Until recently, economists studying economic development have tended to consider it a universal process, or focussed their attention on common aspects. This book originates from the growing recognition of significant sectoral differences in economic development and examines the catching-up process in five different economic sectors: pharmaceuticals, telecommunications equipment, semiconductors, software, and agro-food industries. Each of these sector studies explore the learning and catch-up processes in various developing countries, in order to identify both the common features, and those which differ significantly across sectors and nations. The authors pay particular attention to China, India, Brazil, Korea and Taiwan.