Paolo Berra, Dragon & Innovation, Sapere, April 2017, English Version

2. Sapere, aprile 2017
2
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3. Sapere, aprile 2017
3
SOMMARIO
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INNOVAZIONE 2.0
Il dragone e l’innovazione
di Paolo Berra
47

4. Sapere, aprile 2017
INNOVATION 2.0
47
Paolo is a nuclear engineer and entrepreneur with interests in
innovation and angel investing.
In recent years, China’s economy has
been undergoing profound change.
Until a few years ago, its strength was
centered on the development of inter-
nal infrastructures and exports.
However, since 2007, the interna-
tional demand for Chinese goods has
drastically collapsed —
owing to the American subprime
financial crisis as well as European
countries’ “suicide” through austerity
measures— while the internal market
has become saturated, as predicted.
Consequently, the Chinese econo-
my has registered a worrisome surplus
growth, which has threatened entire
sectors at the global level. In 2015, for example, Chi-
na produced so much steel and then sold it at a very
low price to bring many competing foreign compa-
nies to their knees.
This situation, which is apparently unfavora-
ble, has nevertheless placed America in a posi-
tion of unexpected strength to counteract —or at
least contain—the growth of the dragon. In fact,
in the medium term, the attitude of the American
empire is manifested in its protectionist policies
and its recent disengagement from the Trans-Pacif-
ic TTP Agreement is just an example. This should
stimulate internal production and rebalance the
import-export trade, so far advantageous to the
Chinese. Obviously, China’s counter-move is not to
wait, and it seems that the Asian colossus wants to
shift the game right to innovation, which has been a
turf of American companies.
The dragon’s capacity is awesome. Today China
has more than 2000 incubators and business acce-
lerators (of which 28% are public, 23% private, 17%
academic, and the rest mixed type), 115 university
science parks, 60 industrial and technological parks,
and over a thousand venture capitals, many of which
are concentrated in the city of Beijing. For their de-
velopment, incubators, venture capitals, and Chinese
companies look to Western business models. The for-
mula that they have adopted is very simple: (1) take
a Chinese company, (2) acquire synergies abroad to
have access to know-how (the current massive Chi-
nese investments in Silicon Valley companies are just
an example), (3) bring back technology to China (just
in 2016, Chinese companies registered more than one
million requests for innovative patents), and (4) attack
competitors at the global level.
The link between innovation and entrepreneurship
is essential to the development of China’s future, espe-
cially in reforming the economic and social structure
of the country, and it is going to be a foundation of the
government’s plan for the next five years. According to
estimates, to support a GDP growth between 5% and
6% over the next ten years, innovation should contrib-
ute up to 50%, instead of the current 30%. Then, we
might have China 2.0 soon . . . United States permitting.
Dragon and Innovation
Paolo Berra