The Landscape Analyses of Semiconductor Research Trends of Middle Powers

The semiconductor industry is at the heart of core case studies related to the understanding of broader dynamics of technological developments and international competition in the 21st century. Much has been written about the superpower rivalry between the United States (US) and China, but this chapter highlights significant and growing contributions from middle powers in research, development, and production of semiconductors. This chapter compares the changing role of middle powers in the global semiconductor industry, drawing examples from Japan, South Korea, Türkiye, and Malaysia. The book chapter makes a comparative analysis of research output, patent data, policy initiatives, and industry development in the countries under study and their respective positions. Also, the chapter makes a deeper analysis of Türkiye’s semiconductor research and development efforts. The results suggest diversified strategies and capacities of the established middle powers, Japan and South Korea, compared to the emerging middle powers, Türkiye and Malaysia. In this research, network analysis is used to map patterns of international collaboration and to identify nodes of influence within global semiconductor research and innovation networks. Our results reveal significant differences between well-established middle powers, such as Japan and South Korea, and emerging ones like Türkiye and Malaysia. Japan and South Korea have strong research output and are leaders in patent applications in semiconductor production. While their research impact is relatively much lower, Türkiye and Malaysia are building emerging strengths. Much of the work in Türkiye aims toward defense and strategic applications. In Malaysia, an existing position in semiconductor assembly provides the opportunity for moving up the value chain. In terms of publications, the output of both countries increased linearly since the beginning of the 2000s. In terms of patent applications, Japanese and South Korean companies dominate the patent application network, particularly in semiconductor production and intermediate products. The study helps to further our understanding of how middle powers can pursue various roadmaps in an era of technological innovation and economic competitiveness in the semiconductor industry.

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