Facilitators of national innovation policy in a SME-dominated country: A case study of Taiwan

Abstract

Twenty years ago, Taiwan faced the common constraints of most SME-dominated developing countries in build up scientific and technological capabilities. To facilitate the implementation of national innovation policy, Taiwan government has over time generously supported non-profit R&D institutions which embedded themselves into the Triple-Helix model. Among the institutes, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (HSIP) are the most visible. This paper aims to illustrate a case study discussing how ITRI and HSIP have helped SMEs in Taiwan overcome the challenges of technology, human resources, and new business venture when developing a high-tech sector. For other countries seeking to build up innovation capabilities and currently reliant on SMEs, it is worth studying the case of Taiwan.