Can Developing Countries ‘Catch Up’ with Weak S&T Eco-Systems: Some Insights from Dynamic Asian Economies

The post-war era, particularly from the mid-1980s, can be seen as a turning point for various Asian countries. Japanese success in industrialisation based on technology transfer industrialised West and evolution of unique endogenous scientific technological capacities led scholars to conceptualise ‘late industrialisation’ ‘catching up’ strategies. In large measure, ‘East Miracle’ some erroneous misconceptions science, technology, innovation (STI) policies. Various writings commentators Africa, Asia Latin America advocated follow path East Dragons. These begun assume that countries build systems or dynamic sectors economy within their respective countries, without paying much attention building strengthening science (S&T) eco-systems. There are now clear STI policy signals which significance before fully embarking Drawing exemplary cases, this essay will explore importance S&T context developing