Abstract:

Innovation has become increasingly central to corporate success, as well as to the economic growth and prestige of nations. Developed and many emerging nations are attempting to put in place strategies aimed at establishing the societal processes and institutional linkages essential to the functioning of an innovation economy. In this paper we attempt to assess the state of innovation in China and India, two large emerging nations with a track record of impressive growth and poverty reduction, and the potential for even more rapid economic expansion and societal transformation. We articulate the concept and practice of a National Innovation System and investigate the status and trajectory of innovation using a variety of secondary sources.
Recommendations are made based on the more effective management of diverse societal interfaces, as well as the deployment of an appropriate National Innovation System. Since successful innovation leads to more rapid growth, sustainability issues need to be considered simultaneously. The paper concludes with a review of strategies adopted by both nations to mitigate resource depletion and carbon-dependence through investments in solar energy.