Collaborative Research: A Comparative Study of ICT Industry Development in the Beijing, Shanghai-Suzhou, and Shenzhen-Dongguan City Regions in China

全球化通常被描述为跨国公司投资并将遥远的当地人组织成一个全球生产网络的过程。然而，全球力量如何与不同的地方背景相交，以及这种相交如何影响发展中地区的技术轨迹，都是没有达成共识的问题。本研究比较了北京、上海-苏州和深圳-东莞三个中国地区的信息通信产业发展情况。它们加在一起，在中国的ICT生产和消费中占据了最大份额。然而，每个区域都发展了不同的产业结构和区域化进程，具有不同的全球/地方网络，并在全球信通技术生产中发挥着不同的作用。鉴于中国是全球最大的ICT生产商和出口商之一，其ICT是最具活力的全球产业之一，区域比较提供了一个挑战长期确立的国际分工理论的机会，也提供了一个通过考虑发展中市场和本土公司在创新活动中的作用来产生关于生产和创新的地理位置的新理论的机会。这项研究还将就外部力量如何塑造当地生产网络以及创新过程提供细微差别的分析。研究人员确定了跨国公司与当地公司建立联系的五个主要方面，并认为影响当地网络发展的不是跨国公司联系的存在，而是其性质。该项目进一步将跨国公司/地方网络的结构与公司和区域一级的技术活力联系起来，这种联系的强度和全面性都是衡量的标准。通过这种方式，这项研究有望有助于更深入地了解全球/地方网络在推动发展中国家技术进步方面的相互作用。将通过实地调查和对每个区域的企业或政府机构进行密集访谈来收集主要数据。这项研究将为中国在全球ICT行业最重要的地区提供最新信息和新见解，并将传播给美国感兴趣的商界和技术政策制定者。这项研究还承诺，将把发展中国家的技术变革和创新的新范例，纳入以发达国家案例为主的课程。该项目将通过汇集本科生和研究生助理，以及来自美国、台湾、香港和大陆的研究人员中国，加强国际研究合作的基础设施。

Globalization is often characterized as a process in which transnational corporations (TNCs) invest and organize distant locals into a global production network. Yet, how does the global force intersect with different local contexts, and how do such intersections affect technological trajectories in the developing regions are questions without consensus. This study compares the development of information and communication industry (ICT) in the three regions of China: Beijing, Shanghai-Suzhou and Shenzhen-Dongguan. Together, they account for the lion's share of China's ICT production and consumption. However, each region has developed a different industrial structure and regionalization process, featured different global/local networks, and performed distinct roles in the global ICT production. Given that China is among the largest global ICT producers and exporters, and its ICT is one of the most dynamic global industries, the regional comparison provides an opportunity to challenge the long established theories on international division of labor, and also to generate new theories on geographies of production and innovation by taking into consideration the roles of developing markets and indigenous firms in innovative activities. The study will also offer a nuanced analysis on how external forces shape the local production network and in turn the innovation process. The researchers identify five principal dimensions along which TNCs may develop linkages with local firms and argues that it is not the existence, but rather, the nature of TNC linkages that affect the development of local networks. The project further links the configuration of TNC/local networks, measured by both the strength and comprehensiveness of such linkages, to the technology dynamism at the firm and regional levels. In this way, the research promises to contribute to a deeper understanding of the interplay of global/local networks in advancing technology for developing countries. The primary data will be collected through field surveys and intensive interviews at the enterprises or governmental agencies in each region. This research will provide updated information and new insights on China's most important regions in the global ICT industry, which will be disseminated to interested business communities and technology policy makers in the United States. The study also promises to interject fresh examples of technology change and innovation from developing countries into a curriculum that is largely dominated by cases from advanced countries. The project will strengthen the infrastructure of international research collaboration by bringing together undergraduate and graduate assistants; and researchers from the United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.