Science and technology policies, competitiveness, and economic development : a case study of Taiwan

Abstract

The economic growth in Taiwan for the last few decades has been credited as stellar performance. However, what accounts for the growth? Institutions, political regime, geographical locations, or legal origins? This thesis attempts to explain the economic growth in terms of science and technology (S&T) based on the neoclassical and new growth theories, and comes at a finding that S&T development is significant along with the economic growth. In the process, the author also finds that the government is the major player in Taiwan's S&T development. Based on these findings, the author concludes that from Taiwan's lessons, the S&T is a direction and an area for those developing countries that strive to gain economic growth to make their endeavors on. And, for those latecomer countries, state-led S&T development will be a sufficient condition for economic development, for the government is the major role that is most likely to initiate the development through appropriate policy implementation and is most likely to provide a momentum to the stagnating economic deadlock.