China’s National and Regional Innovation Systems

Abstract

This chapter provides an updated discussion of China’s national and regional innovation systems. First, it introduces the unique development path and distinct characteristics of China’s national and regional innovation systems. Second, it reviews the evolution of China’s national and regional innovation systems, which is divided into five periods: the pre-reform era (1949–1978), the end of the chaos and the beginning of a new era (1978–1985), the reform of China’s science and technology (S&T) system (1985–1998), the scaling-up of S&T system reform (1998–2006), and the improvement of the national S&T system (2006–2013). Third, it describes the overall structure of China’s national innovation system, illustrating the components and interactions (e.g., university-industry linkages, military and civilian integration) within the system. Then, it evaluates the overall performance of China’s national and regional innovation systems. Lastly, it points out future directions for deepening the reform of China’s national innovation system and continuing to pursue innovation-driven development.