The Making of East Asia’s Electronics Champions

Abstract

Sustained and high growth in East Asia was achieved by developing sophisticated export sectors, especially in electronics, spearheaded by national “champions.” Using the experience of four major East Asian semiconductor firms, we argue that four ingredients of state-firm cooperation were instrumental in their success—ambition, autonomy, accountability, and adaptability (4A). This state-firm interaction involved ambitious goals and policies of the state combined with firms’ operational autonomy, strict accountability for the support received, and adaptability to the changing environment. In addition, international and domestic competition, collaboration with multinationals and research consortiums, and own innovation pushed firms toward the technological frontier.

Keywords

• East Asia
• electronics
• state-firm cooperation
• technological innovation