ABSTRACT
This chapter proceeds as follows. First, a brief summary is presented of the transition process evolving conceptually and in real terms as globalization facilitates the emergence of innovative capabilities in hitherto ‘outlying’ regions of what is becoming a clear ‘global innovation network’ (GIN) among ‘territorial innovation systems’ (TIS). In ICT these are displacing the preceding global production network (GPN) associated with traditional desktop PC and laptop production. A comparison is subsequently forged for new ICT applications in eco-innovation. The GPN was a successor to a Western multinational corporation (MNC)-dominated global value chain (GVC) structure designed principally to organize the global textiles industry but adapted for application to other industries, at least in conceptual terms. Second, an account is given of the main innovative elements of the rapidly evolving personal communicator (smartphone/tablet) industry, demonstrating how the division of labour among tasks has been distributed, but narrowly and in key innovation and assembly nodes, over the globe. In this, the West retains the leading edge in software, systems, services and ‘apps’ but Asia Pacific dominates hardware. In Taiwan, South Korea and China, hardware engineering and design indicate that there remain innovative applications to be exploited. Third, an account is given of the application of commoditized IT and ICT componentry in eco-innovation. Material inputs common to ICT, like silicon, its foundries and fabrication plants (‘fabs’), microprocessors and sensors as well as software and systems design feature in eco-innovation. This includes renewable energy, electric and other mobility (vehicles), and related areas experiencing variably growing demand in the West, China and Asia Pacific more generally. This section is followed by discussion and conclusions.
