East Asia is the most competitive and dynamic industrial region in the developing world. This is universally acknowledged but not yet fully understood. In particular, the different strategies the 'Tiger' economies used to access and absorb foreign technologies, and the interaction of technology imports with domestic technological effort, have not been sufficiently explored. This book addresses this imbalance with new country studies on the interaction between foreign direct investment (FDI) and technological activity in building export competitiveness. The book covers China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, highlighting different strategic approaches to building capabilities in industrial enterprises. The book also includes a general overview and studies of Japanese multinationals overseas.

Those interested in the critical role that technologies can play in promoting economic growth and competitiveness will find this study of great interest, especially academics and those in governments and agencies engaged in economic development policy.