IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/entreg/v17y2005i3p183-204.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Creation of relational assets through the ‘library of equipment’ model: an industrial modernization approach of Japan's local technology centres

Author

Listed:
  • Hiro Izushi

Abstract

SMEs with a weak internal R&D capacity show the tendency to shy away from using external sources of technical expertise. The tendency deters providers of industrial modernization services from supporting such structurally weak SMEs. This paper examines how Japan's local technology centres -- kosetsushi -- remove the bottleneck and reach out to a significant proportion of SMEs with a weak R&D capacity in their localities. Kosetsushi centres sustain habitual interactions with client firms through ‘low information gap’ services solving immediate needs and lead the clients to a riskier and longer path toward innovation capacity building. This gives kosetsushi centres a position distinct from universities and consultancies in the regional innovation system. While long-term relationships between kosetsushi centres and their client firms can increase switching costs and produce lock-in effects, a case study of two kosetsushi centres illustrates the importance of ‘low-information gap’ services and relational assets created thereby to the modernization of SMEs with a weak internal R&D capacity. The paper calls for long-term commitment by the public sector if it addresses the issue through modernization services.

Suggested Citation

  • Hiro Izushi, 2005. "Creation of relational assets through the ‘library of equipment’ model: an industrial modernization approach of Japan's local technology centres," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 183-204, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:entreg:v:17:y:2005:i:3:p:183-204
    DOI: 10.1080/08985620500102832
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/08985620500102832
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/08985620500102832?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Odagiri, Hiroyuki & Goto, Akira, 1996. "Technology and Industrial Development in Japan: Building Capabilities by Learning, Innovation and Public Policy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198288022.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Andrés Barge-Gil & Aurelia Modrego-Rico, 2008. "Are Technology Institutes a Satisfactory Tool for Public Intervention in the Area of Technology? A Neoclassical and Evolutionary Evaluation," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 26(4), pages 808-823, August.
    2. Nobuya Fukugawa, 2011. "Impacts and channels of university spillovers before the national innovation system reform in Japan," International Journal of Transitions and Innovation Systems, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(4), pages 383-393.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Odagiri, Hiroyuki & Nakamura, Yoshiaki & Shibuya, Minoru, 1997. "Research consortia as a vehicle for basic research: The case of a fifth generation computer project in Japan," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 191-207, May.
    2. Walsh, John P. & Huang, Hsini, 2014. "Local context, academic entrepreneurship and open science: Publication secrecy and commercial activity among Japanese and US scientists," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 245-260.
    3. Maloney,William F. & Zambrano,Andrés, 2021. "Learning to Learn : Experimentation, Entrepreneurial Capital, and Development," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9890, The World Bank.
    4. Lam, Alice, 2008. "The Tacit Knowledge Problem in Multinational Corporations: Japanese and US Offshore Knowledge Incubators," MPRA Paper 11487, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Hiroyuki Odagiri & Shin-ya Kinukawa, 1997. "Contributions and Channels of Interindustry R&D Spillovers: An Estimation for Japanese High-tech Industries," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 127-142.
    6. Patricia A. Nelson, 2004. "The Effect of Innovation and Technological Change on Information Flows, Authority and Industry Associations in Japan," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-301, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    7. Gui-Diby, Steve Loris & Renard, Mary-Françoise, 2015. "Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and the Industrialization of African Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 43-57.
    8. Ikeda, Daisuke & Morita, Yasuko, 2020. "The effects of barriers to technology adoption on japanese prewar and postwar economic growth," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    9. Nakamura, Tsuyoshi & Ohashi, Hiroshi, 2012. "Intra-plant diffusion of new technology: Role of productivity in the study of steel refining furnaces," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 770-779.
    10. Lambert, Bruce Henry, 2002. "Wrestling with Japanese Tribalism Emerging Collaborative Opportunities For India and Japan," EIJS Working Paper Series 143, Stockholm School of Economics, The European Institute of Japanese Studies.
    11. Tsutomu Shibata, 2006. "Japan, Moving Toward a More Advanced Knowledge Economy : Volume 1. Assessment and Lessons," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7081.
    12. Kenta Nakamura & Hiroyuki Odagiri, 2005. "R&D boundaries of the firm: An estimation of the double-hurdle model on commissioned R&D, joint R&D, and licensing in Japan," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(7), pages 583-615.
    13. Shuhei Aoki & Julen Esteban-Pretel & Tetsuji Okazaki & Yasuyuki Sawada, 2010. "The Role of the Government in Facilitating TFP Growth during Japan’s Rapid-growth Era," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Keijiro Otsuka & Kaliappa Kalirajan (ed.), Community, Market and State in Development, chapter 4, pages 21-44, Palgrave Macmillan.
    14. Iwasa, Tomoko & Odagiri, Hiroyuki, 2004. "Overseas R&D, knowledge sourcing, and patenting: an empirical study of Japanese R&D investment in the US," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 807-828, July.
    15. Kato, Masatoshi & Odagiri, Hiroyuki, 2012. "Development of university life-science programs and university–industry joint research in Japan," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 939-952.
    16. Tom Nicholas, 2013. "Hybrid Innovation In Meiji, Japan," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 54(2), pages 575-600, May.
    17. Kyle HIGHAM & NAGAOKA Sadao, 2022. "Language Barriers and the Speed of Knowledge Diffusion," Discussion papers 22074, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    18. Mazzoleni, Roberto & Nelson, Richard R., 2007. "Public research institutions and economic catch-up," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 1512-1528, December.
    19. Sanidas, Elias, 2002. "Manufacturing Sectoral Growth in the USA and Japan: Relevance to SMEs, Organizational Innovations, and Recent Economic Growth," Economics Working Papers wp02-09, School of Economics, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
    20. Tsuyoshi Nakamura & Hiroshi Ohashi, 2011. "Matrix Exponential Stochastic Volatility with Cross Leverage," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-813, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:entreg:v:17:y:2005:i:3:p:183-204. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/TEPN20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.