Patterns of innovation in Korea and Taiwan

This paper examines the technological capabilities of Korea and Taiwan using US patent statistics for the period 1969-1992. The analysis reveals three important trends. First, that the growth of Korean and Taiwanese technological activity has been rapid both during and after the 1980s. Second, that the processes of technological development in these countries show different patterns: a highly concentrated technical field with dynamic growth in Korea and a highly diversified technical field with stable growth in Taiwan. Third, it is shown that the main agent of Korea's technological innovation has been the small number of large companies in the electrical technology field, while Taiwan's patenting activities have been spread among a large number of individuals exploiting nonelectrical and miscellaneous technologies.