Technology Leapfrogging: Findings from Singapore’s Water Industry
Authors
- Michele Y.C. ChewNational University of Singapore, Singapore
- Chihiro WatanabeTokyo Seitoku University, Japan
- Yuji TouNiigata University, Japan
Keywords
Water Industry, Public Private Partnership, Global Hydrohub, Goverment stimulation, Singapore strategy, Water Treatment
Abstract
This paper illustrates Singaporeâs strategy in catching up with global water treatment nations. Water is an important economic resource for Singapore, creating value-added jobs and stimulating research and development in various related technology trajectories. The analysis shows that from a nation lacking in competence in the water industry, Singapore has successfully transformed herself into a global hydrohub, exporting indigenous capabilities and offering consultancy for water projects. With long-term government policies and funding support for initial R&D and subsequent industry R&D inducement by means of the introduction of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme, Singapore has been able to build up her competence in waste water treatment. This is probably the first paper that analyses the development of the water industry in Singapore from the management of technology and policy perspectives.
References
- ADB (2008) (online). Available from http://www.adb.org/Water/Actions/sin/NEWaterSewage-Safe.asp>
- Arrow, K.J. (1962) âThe Economic Implication of Learning by Doingâ, Review of Economic Studies, 29:3, 155-173.
- Binswanger, H. and Ruttan, V.W. (1978) Technology, Institutions and Development, Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press.
- Chen, C. and Watanabe, C. (2007) âCompetitiveness through Co-evolution between Innovationand Institutional Systems: New Dimension of Competitiveness in a Service-oriented Economyâ, Journal of Services Research, 7:2, 27-55.
- Economic Development Board Singapore (2010) A Global Hydrohub Factsheet 2010, Economic Development Board Singapore.
- Gatingon, H. and Robertson, T.S. (1991) âInnovation Decision Process. In Robertsonâ, T.S. andKassarjan, H.H. (eds) Handbook of Consumer Behavior, Englewood Clifts, Prentice Hall.
- Gregory, F.N. (2006) âBeyond the Learning Curve: Factors Influencing Cost Reductions in Photovoltaicsâ, Energy Policy, 34, 3218-3232.
- Jovanovic, B. and Lach, S. (1989) âEntry, Exit, and Diffusion with Learning by Doingâ, The American Economic Review, 79:4, 690-699.
- Milieu (2009) Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, 2002.
- Nelson, R.R. and Sampat, B.N. (2001) âMaking Sense of Institution as a Factor Shaping Economic Performanceâ, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 44, 31-54.
- North, D.C. (1990) Institutional Change and Economic Performance, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
- North, D.C. (1994) âEconomic Performance through Timeâ, The American Economic Review, 84, 359-368.
- OCED Report (2010) Innovative Financing Mechanisms for the Water Sector, OECD, 2010.
- Odum, E.P. (1963) Ecology, Holt, New York, Rinehart and Winston.
- Soon, T.Y., Jean, L.T. and Karen, T. (2009) Clean, Green and Blue: Singaporeâs Journey towards Environmental and Water Sustainability, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.
- Venkatraman, M.P. (1988) âInvestigating Differences in the Roles of Enduring and Instrumentally Involved Consumers in the Processâ, Advances in Consumer Research, 15, 299-303.
- Watanabe, C. (1992) âTrends in Substitution of Production Factors to Technology: Empirical Analysis of the Inducing Impact of the Energy Crisis on Japanese Industrial Technologyâ, Research Policy, 21:6, 481-505.
- Watanabe, C. (1999) âSystems Option for Sustainable Development: Effect and Limit of the Ministry of International Trade and Industryâs Efforts to Substitute Technology for Energyâ, Research Policy, 28:7, 719-749.
- Watanabe, C. and Asgari, B. (2004) âImpacts of Functionality Development on the Dynamism between Learning and Diffusion of Technologyâ, Technovation, 24:8, 651-664.
- Watanabe, C. and Zhao, W. (2006) âCo-evolutionary Dynamism of Innovation and Institutionâ, In Yoda, N. Pariser, R. and Chon, M.C. (eds), Chemical Business and Economics, Chemical Society of Japan, Tokyo.
- Watanabe, C. Moriyama, K. and Shin, J. (2009) âFunctionality Development Dynamism in a Diffusion Trajectory: A Case of Japanâs Mobile Phone Developmentâ, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 76:6, 737-753.
- Williams, R., Slack, R. and Stewart, J. (2000) Social Learning in Multimedia, Research Center for Social Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh.
How to Cite
Michele Y.C. Chew, Chihiro Watanabe, Yuji Tou. Technology Leapfrogging: Findings from Singapore’s Water Industry.
J.Technol. Manag. Grow. Econ.. 2023, 01, 29-47
Search
