Sure bet or scientometric mirage? An assessment of Chinese progress in nanotechnology
Can Huang & Yilin Wu
#2010-028
After launching its national strategy to promote nanotechnology
development in 2001, China has devoted an increasing amount of R&D
investment from government and industry to the field, produced a soaring
number of scientific publications, established several new specialized
institutions, and expanded its postgraduate programs in related
subjects. The hope that China can pass through a window of opportunity
to catch up and become a leading nation in nanotechnology has never been
higher. However, an evaluation of the Chinese performance according to
targets set in the national strategy suggests that China has lagged
behind most advanced countries in terms of the impact (citations) of its
scientific research. China has not yet performed satisfactorily in the
areas of commercialization and application of the technology either, due
to the limited technological capabilities of indigenous companies and a
lack of incentives for them to actively engage in commercialization and
industrial development.
Keywords: Nanotechnology; China; R&D; Technological Catching-up
JEL codes: O14, O33, O38
UNU-MERIT Working Papers
ISSN 1871-9872