The emergence of clusters in societal transition [Elektronische Ressource] : a coevolutionary perspective on the TCM cluster at Tonghua, China / von Zhigao Liu

Schamp

Informations

• Publié par: goethe_universitat_frankfurt_am_main
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 15
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The Emergence of Clusters
in Societal Transition

A Coevolutionary Perspective on the TCM Cluster
at Tonghua/China


Dissertation
zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades
der Philosophie


Vorgelegt beim
Fachbereich Geowissenschaften/Geographie
der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
in Frankfurt am Main



von
Zhigao Liu
aus Jiangling County/Jiangzhou City
Hubei Province/China



Frankfurt/Main 2009





























vom Fachbereich Geowissenschaften/Geographie der
Johann Wolfgang Goethe - Universität als Dissertation
angenommen.


Dekan: Prof. Dr. Dr. hc. Gerhard Brey

1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Eike W. Schamp
2. Gut Prof. Dr. Christian Berndt


Tag der Disputation: 22. April 2009
II




In Memory of My Dearest Father (10.1950-4.2007)
who lives in my heart for good.
I
Acknowledgement
Too little space here, too many distinguished academics, mentors, friends and
family members to thank!
The most important one to whom I am particularly indebted is my principal PhD
supervisor, Prof. Dr. Eike W. Schamp at Frankfurt University. I thank Prof. Schamp so
much for all the enthusiasm, support, advice, patience and for having read my writing
probably as many times as I have. I have been privileged to access his enormous
knowledge on industrial clusters and the evolutionary approach. The regular and
stimulating meetings with him over the whole course of my Ph.D study have indeed
enhanced my understanding of the evolution of industrial clusters in the contexts of
transitional countries and hopefully my academic thinking! At the same time, his
goodwill, humor and extraordinary wisdom have always encouraged me to overcome
various difficulties when I stayed in foreign environments. Prof. Schamp has greatly
inspired me in my endeavour, influenced it and shaped it.
Special thanks to Prof. Wang Jici at Peking University in China. It was Prof. Wang
who opened up a window for my study in Europe since she whole heartedly
recommended me to Prof. Schamp when I applied for overseas studies in 2004, which
provided me with a wonderful opportunity to enhance my academic capabilities. During
my doctoral studies, I constantly got enlightened guidance from her mostly by emails or
discussion on the online forum of the website of China’s industry cluster (www.
clusterstudy.com) which was launched by her, other Chinese scholars and me in May,
2003. Her unparalleled knowledge of China’s industrial clusters provided me with one
of main thought sources for my empirical exploration in the context of China.
Amongst the other Chinese scholars who contributed significantly to my
understanding of evolutionary economics, I thank especially Prof. Jia Gengliang at
Renming University in China who is very familiar with heterodox economics, and
evolutionary economics in particular. He tutored me in evolutionary economics at the
beginning of my study on this approach in 2004, and tirelessly gave me advice mostly
by emails and personal meetings in China. Similarly, the discussion with Prof. Yang
Hutao at Zhongnan University of Economics & Law was beneficial. Prof. Yang Hutao
was ever a visiting scholar at the business school of the University of Hertfordshire
where Prof. Geoffrey M. Hodgson works.
Many thanks also to all the interviewees in Jiling province for kindly sharing their
inspiring stories in creating success of the Tonghua traditional Chinese medicine
industry and/or their insights on the TCM industry. Without their open, candid and
crucial information input, this thesis would not have been possible. I would especially
like to thank Prof. Cui Yuechun at Jilin Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, Prof. Yi
Baozhong at Jilin University and Prof. Wang Liqun at Tonghua Normal College for
their intellectual input and assistance in organizing fieldwork. I appreciate especially
three other local coordinators, Jiang Zhijun, Zhang Zhenyou, Han Tiehan, who all are
local government officials, for nice accommodation and enabling access to information
about these stories of Tonghua pharmaceutical enterprises. I am particularly indebted to
three pharmaceutical experts, Qu Lianqin, Wang Gaojun and Yi Changdun. They have
guided me into the mysteries of the sector and provided me with much knowledge of
the pharmaceutical industry, which nourished a lot my empirical study. I greatly
benefited from the friendship and sharing materials of the pharmaceutical industry from
my field survey partners, Zhao Yuanliang and Ming Li, both were Ph.D students at that
time.
II
I gratefully acknowledge very useful comments, suggestions, and research notes
on my early, immature versions of this work, which substantially improved the paper,
from Prof. Ron Martin, Prof. Philip Cooke, Prof. Ron Boschma, Prof. Koen Frenken,
Prof. Harald Bathelt, Prof.Thomas Brenner, Prof.Johannes Glueckler Prof. Martina
Fuchs, Prof.Eric Brousseau, Prof. Henry Wai-chung Yeung, and Prof. Yehua Dennis Wei
and Dr. Peter Essletzbichler.
My German colleagues in Frankfurt am Main who were so friendly in answering
my various cries for help have provided a stimulating and very friendly atmosphere in
which to do challenging research, in particular Yvonne Zajontz, Michael Handke, Dr.
Sabine Dörry, Ms. Dorothy Hauzar. Without such warmhearted friends and colleagues,
my investigations would have been much more difficult and less exciting.
Heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the thesis oral examination committee
members for critical feedback. In particular I would like to thank my second PhD
supervisor, Prof. Dr. Christian Berndt for kind encouragement, critical feedback and
inspiration.
Here I would like to give so many thanks to Ms. Doris Fassbender who gave me
homely warmth and let me enjoy traveling to exotic places during my staying in
Germany.
I express my appreciation to the research grants from Chinese University of
Geosciences (Wuhan), through the projects, “Eco-Industrial Cluster Development
Strategy” (Contract No.2004A0017) by the Open Fund of the resources and the
environment Economic Research Center of CUG., “Reflection on Western evolution of
economic geography” (CUGQNW0703) by the Research Foundation for Outstanding
Young Teachers.
Last but not least, I would like to especially thank my family for their selfless
support, both financially and spiritually, which allowed me to devote myself to the need
of my curiosity over the years. I do really owe the parents and my sister a lot, especially
my affectionate father who sadly left us during the second year of my doctoral program,
at the end of April, 2007. Likewise, without my dearly beloved wife’s many years of
support and encouragement, I couldn’t have finished this study at all. She assumed all
duties of taking care of our extended family over the past years, which made me never
feel any need of taking trivial housework and affliction of realistic life into
consideration. In addition, because of being also a researcher in the field of economic
geography, my wife, Dr. Yin Yimei gave me a great deal of fierce criticism and sound
advice. I am so lucky to have such a loving family.
III
Contents
Acknowledgement ...................................................................................................................................................II
Contents......................................................................................................................................................................IV
List of Tables............................................................................................................................................................VII
Chapter 1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Research Background............................................................................................................. 1
1.1.1 Industrial Clusters and China’s Economic Growth.......................................................... 1
1.1.2 The Theoretical Puzzle Relevant to Cluster Emergence.................................................. 5
1.1.3 Review on Evolutionary Economic Geography and Coevolutionary Study.................... 9
1.2 Research Questions..... 13
1.2.1 Uncover ‘How History Matters’.................................................................................... 13
1.2.2 The Coevolutionary Process at Industrial Cluster Level ............................................... 15
1.3 Why Coevolution of Firms, Institution and Technology ...................................................... 17
1.3.1 Why Firm....................................................................................................................... 18
1.3.2 Why Institution and Technology 19
1.3.3Why Pharmaceutical Industry...................................................................