This book explores the ongoing transition of China's economy by examining how its healthcare industry is growing and changing. The coronavirus pandemic has reinforced one of the authors' key points: in our complex, fragile, and interconnected societies, the production of health is a vital strategic 'industry'. The case of China is particularly salient, because of its economic and geopolitical significance, and the scale of the healthcare challenge it has faced.

Adopting a multi-level perspective, the authors examine the entrepreneurial role of the Chinese government as it seeks to strengthen the competitiveness of domestic firms. They analyze the strategies employed to improve China's technology and capacity for innovation, and discuss China's strategies and policies to ensure knowledge acquisition and creation in the long-term, with particular reference to international scientific collaborations. This book is a must-read for students, researchers, and policymakers interested in the prospects and challenges posed by the growth of the Chinese healthcare industry and its global impact.

Autorentext

Marco R. Di Tommaso is Full Professor of Applied Economic Studies, University of Ferrara, Italy, and Director of c.MET05 - The National University Centre for Applied Economic Studies, Italy. He is also a Life Member Fellow at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, UK, and Honorary Professor at the South China University of Technology and the South China Normal University.

**Francesca Spigarelli **is Associate Professor of Applied Economic Studies at the University of Macerata, Italy, where she is Director of the China Center, and Vice Rector for Entrepreneurship and Technological Transfer and for European Research Policy. She is also a member of the c.MET05 Steering Board. 

Elisa Barbieri is Associate Professor of Applied Economic Studies at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy; Senior Researcher and a member of the Steering Board at c.MET05. She is Associate Editor for the journals Competition and Change and l'Industria.

Lauretta Rubini is Associate Professor of Applied Economic Studies and Coordinator of the Master's Degree Programmes at the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Ferrara, Italy. She is also Visiting Scholar at the University of California Los Angeles, USA, and Senior Researcher and a member of the Steering Board at c.MET05.

Inhalt

Chapter 1

China's role in World health industry

The Chapter provides a critical overview of the main ideas underlying the book and sets the ground for the whole publication. It conceptualizes the starting point of our analysis, as well as goals and key contribution to the existing literature, current policy debate and firm level implication. It summarizes existing publications and available contributions on both theoretical and academic papers and reports.

  The starting angle is China and how, in an historical perspective, it is changing its role in global manufacturing.
In particular, from being the factory of the world, China is gradually becoming a leader in technological advanced productions. The health industry is a crucial sector in this perspective for at least 2 reasons:

• It can support internal sustainability and a new normal growth. It is a crucial part of the bigger reform of the healthcare system, which is supposed to guarantee access to basic products and services to the population (demand side perspective);

• It leverages on high value added productions, advancing the role of China as global innovator (supply side perspective).

China is becoming increasingly important at the world level as regards the production of specific health related products, as data show. China is shifting attention from demand side of the healthcare sector, to the supply side. An important restructuring process is taking place in the Chinese industry, which involves higher domestic concentration and international ventures of Chinese firms. The government is playing a crucial role in shaping this process, through the release of a series of integrated industrial policies, including the support to the Go Global strategy of the sector. Expectations are that this process will significantly affect global manufacturing patterns and international innovation networks.

In the light of changes in the Chinese market, we analyse some global implication:

·         If China enters the supply side, will it just satisfy the Chinese demand or try to conquer world market shares and Western country consumers? ·         How is the Western world going to face the competition of Chinese firms and their willingness to invest massively abroad? Will Europe be able to develop a common and single industrial policy to address the global changes in the healthcare market?

Chapter 2

Health industry growth and changing trends

After the first chapter analyses world trend and the role of China in a global and broad perspective, the second chapter goes deeply into the description of key determinants of industry growth and trade globalization patters at World level for the healthcare sector. Changing trends are analysed, including the emerging and growing role of China both in terms of demand for healthcare goods and services, as well as in terms of supply for technology, innovation, and products.

The analysis includes the role of Chinese non-state businesses, the role of Chinese SMEs vs large scale companies and R&D trends in Chinese firms in the different segment of the industry. Indeed, a focus on research and innovation capacity of China is included, to determine the perspective role at World level of this country, in the specific industry. We take into account the cooperation between public and private sector and policies than influence the behaviour of private Chinese firms. Methodology is based on industry statistics and market data, also at macro and industry level, to drive the reader into a deeper knowledge of the healthcare sector and its fundamental dynamics. Also, we include relevant literature findings and data, on micro level, on the distinction between State Owned firms and private firms which are gaining a growing role in different sub-segment of the industry.

The intent of the chapter is to understand current trends at industry and micro level to analyse the determinants of future development of Chinese businesses in the health industry.

The chapter is a bridge towards the rest of the book where the focus is totally on China.

Chapter 3

The Government long-term strategy for HC sectors: restructuring the industry  The chapter is the first of 3...