A model of `secondary innovation´ process

The authors present a conceptual model as a framework of the secondary innovation process in China as well as in less developed countries (LDCs). In contrast with first innovation which dominates the technological paradigm and is usually undertaken in developed countries, secondary innovation might be the major pattern of LDCs´ technological innovation. The proposed model consists of five stages: acquisition, imitation, adaptation, improvement, and generation. The model explains the dynamic nature of technology capacity accumulation in the process of secondary innovation. The concept of understanding is applied to analyze the matching of acquired technology with existing technologies, so as to compensate the deficiencies of the learning concept in connection with explaining the nature of the later stages in the process of secondary innovation