Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Japan: Politics, Organizations, and High Technology Firms

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Figures......Page 12
Tables......Page 14
Acknowledgments......Page 15
Abbreviations......Page 17
1.1 Introduction......Page 19
Samco in Kyoto......Page 20
Ikeda in Tokyo......Page 23
1.3 Regional variations in Japan’s national innovation system......Page 25
1.4 Innovative communities: basic ingredients and sufficient conditions......Page 27
1.5 The book’s argument: local political economy of innovative communities......Page 28
1.6 Outline of the book......Page 32
Firm-level strategies......Page 33
National-level policy......Page 34
Inter-firm networks......Page 35
Sustainable community development......Page 36
Notes......Page 37
2.1 Introduction......Page 38
2.2 Regions: industries, products, and trends......Page 40
Leaders......Page 43
Mixed success......Page 45
2.4 Firm-level strategies......Page 46
Leaving a sinking ship: Shinkoh......Page 48
No thanks to METI: Seiken......Page 50
Surviving through merger: Kyodo Electric......Page 51
The cost of sticking with the system: Kasasaku......Page 52
The economic value in social networks: Namitei......Page 53
Maverick spirit and a little political savvy: Soda......Page 56
International ties......Page 58
R&D focus......Page 59
Surviving the collapse of the ‘‘bubble’’ in the 1990s......Page 60
Expansion in the 2000s......Page 61
Mastering the art of (Internet-based) collaborative manufacturing: Akita......Page 62
Top-down management of a spin-off: Seiwa Information Systems......Page 65
Conclusion: Japan’s ‘‘entrepreneurial gems’’ and the regional variation in its national innovation system......Page 67
Notes......Page 70
Definitions......Page 72
Measures......Page 73
3.2 Firm-level innovation in Japan......Page 77
3.3 Flexible production......Page 79
Institutional interlock......Page 80
Role of the state......Page 81
Technology and innovation......Page 82
Trust?......Page 83
Inter-corporate alliances......Page 84
3.4 Flexible specialization......Page 85
Political institutions......Page 86
Lean production......Page 88
Identification with craft......Page 90
Bureaucratic elements......Page 91
3.5 Industrial districts......Page 92
3.6 Local networks......Page 96
3.7 Comparing theories of innovation......Page 99
3.8 Conclusion: bringing the local (more fully) back in?......Page 103
Notes......Page 105
4.1 The Cluster Plan......Page 110
4.2 Executives and (former) bureaucrats......Page 111
4.3 1990s: bad policy, poorly implemented......Page 117
4.4 2000s: when all else fails, go to Harvard......Page 119
4.5 What’s ‘‘new’’ about the Cluster Plan?......Page 123
Tokyo’s Tama......Page 124
Hokkaido’s IT/Bio......Page 125
 Kinki’s bio......Page 126
4.6 Mid-2000s: checking on the patient......Page 128
4.7 Conclusion: too much Gesellschaft and not enough Gemeinschaft......Page 129
5.1 Introduction......Page 132
Networks: what are they and what are they for?......Page 134
Whither Japan?......Page 135
5.2 Overview of firm experiences......Page 139
5.3 Networks in Ota Ward: O-Net......Page 140
5.4 Networks in Higashi Osaka: TOPS......Page 143
5.5 Networks in Kyoto: Kiseiren and its spin-offs......Page 145
5.6 Conclusion: seeds of change......Page 150
Notes......Page 152
6.1 What is the Kyoto Model?......Page 156
6.2 Serendipity in history......Page 157
Adversity into opportunity: Horiba......Page 159
Refusing to settle for the average: Murata......Page 160
Serendipity of adversity: Omron......Page 161
A little help from other entrepreneurs: Nakanuma......Page 162
The pull of Kyoto: Tose......Page 164
Region......Page 166
Firm......Page 167
Entrepreneurs......Page 171
Philanthropy (shakaikoken)......Page 172
Entrepreneurs-turned-philanthropists......Page 176
6.5 A model for other places?......Page 177
Notes......Page 178
7.1 Introduction: building innovative communities......Page 180
7.2 Core constructs......Page 182
Regional level......Page 183
7.3 Hypotheses: people, institutions, and innovation......Page 184
Hypothesis 3......Page 185
Building blocks for innovation......Page 186
Political savvy at national level: Chlorogen......Page 188
Growing organically in a fledgling market: SpectrAlliance......Page 190
The paradox of dense social networks: Kereos......Page 192
The regional context: support institutions......Page 194
Arizona......Page 195
St. Louis......Page 196
Danforth Plant Science Center......Page 199
Civic progress......Page 200
7.6 Innovative coalitions and local visionaries......Page 202
7.7 What it takes to move the region forward......Page 204
7.8 St. Louis and Kyoto compared......Page 205
7.9 Germany......Page 208
7.10 China......Page 212
Hypothesis 3......Page 216
Civic entrepreneurship......Page 217
 Broad-based coalitions......Page 218
A new local political economy model of innovation?......Page 219
Notes......Page 222
8.1 The socio-political foundations of regional innovation systems......Page 223
8.3 Regions......Page 224
8.4 Innovation theory......Page 225
8.5 National Cluster policy......Page 226
8.6 Networks......Page 227
Note......Page 231
Data gathering technique......Page 232
Case selection......Page 234
Notes......Page 238
Appendix 2 Global scope of entrepreneurial activity: top fifteen countries, by number of persons involved in start-ups, 2003......Page 240
Appendix 3 Management strategies of semi-Kyoto Model firms......Page 243
References......Page 246
Index......Page 260