ABSTRACT

Are developing nations permanently restricted to being simply offshore manufacturing and assembly places for the business of the advanced nations? Are firms in newly industrializing countries limited to local markets or to being subsidiary suppliers to the giant international firms that give the world new drugs, new cars, new watches, new software and new shampoo? This book says ‘No!’ With rare exceptions the less advantaged cannot count on becoming inventors of wholly new goods, or being world leaders in invention and innovation. There remains, though, much that nations and their firms can do to move up the value-added ladder to become significant contributors to world industry and production, and in the process achieve much success themselves.