ASSUMPTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL LEARNING: EXPERIENCE OF SOUTH-EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES FOR THE BALTIC SEA REGION

Abstract

The authors of this paper seek to disclose and conceptualize the possibilities of industrial learning in the Baltic sea region, based on “flying-geese” model of regional development offered by Akamatsu (1961, 1962) and developed by Ozawa (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005), Kojima (2000), Kasahara (2004), Mathews (2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), which worked well for the South-East Asian countries. The essence of this model is: the companies of most developed region countries transfer their practice and technologies to the neighbouring countries of the region and when those countries reach the point of mature level of existence cycle and the neighbouring countries can offer the companies a more attractive ratio of price and quality and attract new technologic knowledge into the country.If a country seeks to reach a qualitatively higher level, it needs to get integrated into the global and regional value creation chains. Belonging to such chains not only opens the way into new markets, but also new industrial learning possibilities (the spread of latest knowledge and technologies in the country). Mathews (2006) emphasizes the importance of three main factors for a qualitative jump of latecomer countries – linkage, leverage and learning.This paper emphasizes such assumptions of success of industrial learning, like mobility of working force, also geographical, industrial, technological, cognitive, behavior proximities (Lang, 2005), macroeconomic stability, etc. The method of analysis of scientific literature has been used in the paper.The paper contains three main sections. First section analyses the industrial learning and “flying-geese” model of regional development. The second section analyses the success story of economic development in the South-East Asian countries. Last section points out the essential assumptions and factors for economical catch-up via industrial learning.