This volume is the result of the 2012 International Economic Association's series of roundtables on the theme of Industrial Policy. The first, 'New Thinking on Industrial Policy,' was hosted by the World Bank in Washington, D.C, and the second, 'New Thinking on Industrial Policy: Implications for Africa,' was held in Pretoria, South Africa.

This volume is the result of the 2012 International Economic Association's series of roundtables on the theme of Industrial Policy. The first, 'New Thinking on Industrial Policy,' was hosted by the World Bank in Washington, D.C, and the second, 'New Thinking on Industrial Policy: Implications for Africa,' was held in Pretoria, South Africa.

This timely and much-needed Handbook reconsiders an old topic from a fresh perspective, raising a number of new, interesting and worthwhile issues in the wake of ten years of globalization. This comprehensive analysis illustrates that old-style industrial policies whereby the government directly intervened in markets, and was often the producer itself, are no longer relevant. Structural changes occurring in economies - summarized in the term 'globalization' - are triggering the definition and implementation of new industrial policies. The contributors, leading experts in their field, unite to evaluate this shift of over a decade ago. Employing various empirical and methodological approaches with a strong theoretical underpinning, this world-wide study of the state-of-the-art of industrial policy issues is an invaluable reference tool. It has been enthusiastically received by a wide-ranging audience including scholars, researchers and policy makers with an interest in industrial economics and policy, business studies and policies for growth, competitiveness and development.

The Political Economy of Industrial Policy in East Asia sheds new light on the reasons why Taiwan and South Korea have achieved such remarkable progress in the semiconductor industry. This book focuses on the institutional arrangements in Taiwan and South Korea across time and shows how the state and society have interacted to accomplish the successful development of the semiconductor industry. It argues persuasively that three institutional factors are critical in understanding the development processes of the semiconductor industry in these two countries: first, the different degrees of business concentration, second, the different state structures and their influence on policy making networks, and finally, the different international political economies in which the two countries are located. The author challenges the developmental statist argument which has traditionally offered the most popular explanation of East Asian development, and includes recent industrial data and statistics demonstrating the current status of this rapidly changing industry. This book will be welcomed by graduate students and academics in the fields of comparative political economy, international political economy and industrial policy. It will also appeal to those interested in industrial development strategies, East Asian development and comparative politics.