TECHNOLOGY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND NATIONAL-DEVELOPMENT - LESSONS FROM SINGAPORE

This paper gives an up-to-date account of Singapore's major technoecon omic development. From Singapore's experience a general national devel opment model based on government entrepreneurship and technological de velopment is constructed. In this model foreign multinational corporat ions continue to be an integral driving force in economic growth and a conduit for technology transfer, even when a nation enters into an in novation-driven development phase. The paper also outlines the challen ges Singapore faces now that the economies of Asia's and the world's t wo most populous countries, China and India, open up. In order for Sin gapore to become a developed nation there is a need for local 'technop reneurship' to broaden its scope. Furthermore the country needs to mai ntain an orderly shift to technologically advanced activities while lo w-end operations are relocating to lower-cost countries.