Technological Learning: Lessons from South Korea and China

Abstract

In the contemporary global economy, firms face competitive settings and must adapt to dynamic changes, particularly those operating in industrial sectors. The disparities in economic development among countries can be attributed to variations in technological advancement levels (Ghazinoory et al., 2021). Firms in developing countries, known as latecomers, aim to learn technology by following firms in developed countries. This path continues until latecomer firms achieve innovation. Developing countries have started to produce innovation by using technological learning and have a strong voice in the global market with their products. Technological advancements in developing countries have played a significant role in fostering economic growth. This study aims to provide a perspective of technological learning within these context. We focus on the cases of South Korea and the People's Republic of China for deepen our understanding of how technological learning is strategically built in in developing countries. Both countries have applied reverse engineering as a means of acquiring and internalizing foreign technologies.