Basic concept and summary

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015 by the United Nations are an attempt to foster innovation, although the main aim is to narrow the economic gap and protect the environment. Mega free trade agreements (FTAs) aimed at regional integration, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, not only seek to abolish import tariffs but also to network global value chains and set sustainable growth targets. As pointed out by Kuchiki (2008), Asia can be seen as the growth center of the world in the twenty-first century. However, most Asian countries now face difficulties in achieving active innovation. Industrial clusters were hoped to provide a solution to these difficulties but none has been found to date (see Kuchiki and Tsuji 2008).