MMRC DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES No. 269 The Role of International Technology Transfer in the Chinese Automotive Industry Zejian Li, Ph.D. Project Research Associate Manufacturing Management Research Center (MMRC) Faculty of Economics, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO July 2009 東京大学ものづくり経営研究センター Manufacturing Management Research Center (MMRC) Discussion papers are in draft form distributed for purposes of comment and discussion. Contact the author for permission when reproducing or citing any part of this paper. Copyright is held by the author. http://merc.e.u-tokyo.ac.jp/mmrc/dp/index.html The Role of International Technology Transfer in the Chinese Automotive Industry Zejian Li, Ph.D. (E-mail:
[email protected]) Project Research Associate Manufacturing Management Research Center (MMRC) Faculty of Economics, THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO May 2009 Abstract The so called Independent Chinese Automobile Manufacturers (ICAMs), such as CHERY, Geely and BYD, emerged at the end of 1990's as new entrants to Chinese passenger vehicle market and have achieved remarkable growth. The phenomenon of these autonomous Chinese Automakers is drawing increasing attention not only from academia but also from business and government circles. This paper attempts to clarify the relationship between emergence of ICAMs and International Technology Transfer. Many scholars indicate the use of outside supplies (of engines and other key-parts), as a sole reason for high-speed growth of ICAMs. However, the internal approach, at a level of how companies act, is also necessary to outline all the reasons and factors that might contribute to the process. This paper, based on organizational view, starts from historical perspective and clarifies the internal dynamics of the ICAMs.