Investigating the Technological Catch-up Efforts in Biopharmaceutical Firms of Iran

Authors

1 Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Tarbiat Modarres University

3 Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

4 Tarbiat Modares University Tehran Iran

5 Technology Studies Institute TSI Tehran Iran

10.22034/jstp.2019.10.4.539574

Abstract

Technological catch-up is one of the key issues of technology development in developing countries and determining the appropriate catch-up process based on the environmental, institutional, and characteristics of different industries is a requirement of a successful catch-up. Review of the field of technology studies suggests that few empirical and theoretical studies have been conducted to determine the proper technological catch-up process for biopharmaceutical companies. Therefore, this paper try to investigate and explain appropriate process of technological catch-up of biopharmaceutical firms based on biopharmaceutical sector and country’s conditions. To this end, in this paper, through the case studies of successful companies in the field of biomedicine in Iran, the technology catch-up of these companies was analyzed. For this purpose, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using theme analysis and coding, and the output of the analysis was presented in the form of a model. This paper shows that the studied companies first developed the capabilities of production (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), formulation, and obtaining health approvals) then entered the production process innovation. Finally, the studied companies have engaged in development of existing strains. This paper also shows that firms should obtain simpler capability (formulation) before obtaining more complex one (API production), is not seem to be followed by any of the studied companies. On contrary, obtaining the API production capability can be one of right approach in technological catching-up of biopharmaceutical firms.

Keywords

References

[1] Reid, S. E., & Ramani, S. V. (2012). The harnessing of biotechnology in India: Which roads to travel? Technological forecasting and social change, 79(4), 648-664.
[2] Eslamparast, A., Yardehnavi, N., Tavakoli, F., & Kazemi-Lomedasht, F. (2017). Iranian biopharmaceutical companies: products and services. Health Biotechnology and Biopharma, 1(1), 35-45.
[3] Mahboudi, F., Hamedifar, H., & Aghajani, H. (2012). Medical biotechnology trends and achievements in Iran. Avicenna journal of medical biotechnology, 4(4), 200.
[4] Cheraghali, A. M. (2013). Current status of biopharmaceuticals in Iran's pharmaceutical market. Generics and Biosimilars Initiative Journal, 2(1), 26-31.
[5] Hamidi Motlagh, R., Taghi Isaai, M., & Babaee, A. (2017). Embeddedness of State-Pioneer Entrepreneurs and Technological Change, The Case of Biopharmecutal Catch-Up in Iran. Journal of Science & Technology Policy, 8(4), 1-19. {In Persian}.
[6] Majidpour, M. (2016). Technological catch-up in complex product systems. Journal of Engineeringand Technology Management, 41(3), 92-105.
[7] Bell, M., & Figuieredo, P. N. (2012). Building innovative capabilities in latecomer firms: some key issues. In Amann, E., & Cantwell, J. (Eds.). Innovative Firms in Emerging Market Countries. OUP Oxford.
[8] Lee, K. (2013). Schumpeterian Analysis of Economic Catch-up; Knowledge, Path-Creation, and the Middle-Income Trap. New York: Cambridge University Press.
[9] Odagiri, H., Goto, A., Sunami, A., & Nelson, R. R. (Eds.). (2010). Intellectual property rights, development, and catch up: An international comparative study. Oxford University Press.
[10] Guennif, S., & Ramani, S. V. (2012). Explaining divergence in catching-up in pharma between India and Brazil using the NSI framework. Research Policy, 41(2), 430-441.
[11] Chaturvedi, K., Chataway, J., & Wield, D. (2007). Policy, markets and knowledge: strategic synergies in Indian pharmaceutical firms. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 19(5), 565-588.
[12] Ramani, S. V., & Venkataramani, M. (2001). Rising to the technological challenge: possibilities for integration of biotechnology in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. International Journal of Biotechnology, 3(1-2), 95-115.
[13] Gerschenkron, A. (1962). Economic Backwardness in Historical Perspective. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
[14] Hobday, M. (2003). Innovation in Asian industrialization: A Gerschenkronian perspective. Oxford development studies, 31(3), 293-314.
[15] Fagerberg, J., & Godinho, M. M. (2005). Innovation and Catching-Up The Oxford Handbook of Innovation (pp. 514-542). Oxford University Press.
[16] Chaturvedi, S. (2007). Exploring interlinkages between national and sectoral innovation systems for rapid technological catch-up: case of Indian biopharmaceutical industry. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 643-657.
[17] Ramani, S. V. (2002). Who is interested in biotech? R&D strategies, knowledge base and market sales of Indian biopharmaceutical firms. Research Policy, 31(3), 381-398.
[18] Majidpour, M. (2017). International technology transfer and the dynamics of complementarity: A new approach. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 122, 196-206.
[19] Malerba, F., & Nelson, R. (2011). Learning and catching up in different sectoral systems: evidence from six industries. Industrial and corporate change, 20(6), 1645-1675.
[20] Athreye, S., & Godley, A. (2009). Internationalization and technological leapfrogging in the pharmaceutical industry. Industrial and Corporate Change, 18(2), 295-323.
[21] Lee, K. (2005). Making a Technological Catch-up: Barriers and Opportunities. Asian Journal of Technology Innovation, 13(2), 97-131.
[22] Kim, L. (1997). Imitation to Innovation. The Dynamics of Korea’s Technological Learning. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA, USA.
[23] Lee, K., & Lim, C. (2001). Technological regimes, catching-up and leapfrogging: findings from the Korean industries. Research Policy, 30(3), 459-483.
[24] Lee, K., & Malerba, F. (2018). Economic Catch-Up By Latecomers as an Evolutionary Process Modern evolutionary economics: an overview (pp. 172-207). Cambridge University Press.
[25] Cinnagen. (2018c). Upstream prosesses. Retrieved from https://www.cinnagen.com. {In Persian}.
[26] Cinnagen. (2018b). Downstream prosesses. Retrieved from https://www.cinnagen.com. {In Persian}.
[27] Albadvi, A., & Shekarchian, S. (2018). Factors affecting the technology sourcing method: case study of Cinnagen company. Innovation Management Journal, 6(4), 131-160. {In Persian}.
[28] Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2007). Research methods for business students. Financial Times: Prentice Hal.
[29] Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research : design and methods.—4th ed. SAGE.
[30] Maxwell, J. E. (2005). Qualitative reserch design, an interactive approach. London: Sage publication, Inc.
[31] Maguire, M., & Delahunt, B. (2017). Doing a thematic analysis: A practical, step-by-step guide for learning and teaching scholars. AISHE-J: The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 9(3).
[32] Hamedifar, H. (2017). Monthly Magazine of Futuristic's Discussions with Dr. Haleh Hamedifar, Managing Director of Sinagan Co./Interviewer: F. Monthly (Vol 1396/03/20). Monthly Magazine of Futuristic. {In Persian}.
[33] AMEMBP. (2017). Statistics on biomedical exports. Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Medical Biotechnology Products. Cited in: Ghazinoori, S. S., & Shakeri, R. (2017). Integration of Industrial, Commercial, and Technology Policies in the Iranian Biomedical Industries. {In Persian}.
[34] Cinnagen. (2018a). Cinnagen's history. Retrieved from https://www.cinnagen.com. {In Persian}.
[35] Datapharma. (2018). Sales statistics of firms. Retrieved from datapharma.ir. {In Persian}.
[36] Aryogen. (2018). Life-Altering Products. Retrieved from http://www.aryogen.com/.
[37] Cinnagen. (2015). Abdi Ibrahim CinnaGen signing ceremony. Retrieved from http://cinnagen.com.
[38] Inno Bio Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (2017, 14, Jun). Inno Bio All Geared Up For The Development And Production Of Biosimilar Products. Retrieved from innobioventures.com.
[39] Food and Drug Administration. (2017). The 12-month pharmaceutical statitical report for 2016. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov.ir/item/3814. {In Persian}.
[40] Persisgen. (2018). About us. Retrieved from http://www.aryogen.com/.
Journal of Science and Technology Policy
Volume 11, Issue 4
January 2019
Pages 49-63

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics