Abstract：Against the backdrop of the intertwined Fourth Industrial Revolution and Sino-U.S. technological rivalry, China’s technology and innovation management discipline faces significant opportunities and challenges for development. China’s rapid rise in the global landscape of technological innovation has become an international consensus, transitioning from a technological follower to a leader at the global innovation frontier. This shift is reflected not only in quantitative breakthroughs but also in the enhancement of innovation quality and the maturation of a systematic innovation ecosystem, marking the entry of China’s innovation-driven development strategy into a high-quality development stage.
The Western knowledge system of technology and innovation management implicitly contains a division-of-labor paradigm for technological innovation, essentially constructing a knowledge-power order centered on the technology life cycle. This theoretical framework interprets technological innovation activities as a linear life cycle process, spanning from basic scientific research to applied technology development and further to industrial application, thereby forming a three-tier power hierarchy of “scientific discovery-technological invention-commercial transformation”. The global division-of-labor system constructed through the technology life cycle theory is, in essence, a concrete manifestation of technological hegemony in the field of innovation. Rooted in the standpoint of developed countries, its theoretical limitations fundamentally conflict with the technological breakthrough practices of developing countries, consequently influencing and even reshaping the global innovation landscape.
In recent years, a representative knowledge system of technology and innovation management rooted in developing countries, known as frugal innovation, has garnered considerable attention. Its core proposition lies in meeting the basic needs of resource-constrained markets, particularly grassroots populations in developing countries, through minimalist design, low cost, and high adaptability. This theory is grounded in the reality of developing countries, characterized by scarce resources, weak infrastructure, yet large populations. It emphasizes achieving “more with less” by eliminating non-essential functions, restructuring value chains, and fostering localized collaboration. However, although this theory demonstrates significant value in addressing resource constraints and expanding market coverage, its inherent shortcomings, particularly the neglect of technological capability upgrading pathways are increasingly becoming a critical bottleneck hindering the enhancement of innovation capabilities in developing countries.
The cutting-edge practices in China’s technology and innovation management are undergoing a paradigm shift from “catch-up” to “beyond catch-up”. Constructing China’s independent knowledge system of technology and innovation management discipline must be deeply rooted in local pioneering innovation practices. It is essential to both break through the limitations of Western theoretical frameworks and avoid being confined to the theoretical context of developing countries. Instead, an independent knowledge system paradigm with Chinese characteristics, a global perspective, and a future-oriented approach must be established.
Based on the original management theory system (C Theory) derived from the innovation management practices of leading Chinese enterprises, this study reexamines many Western management doctrines that have long been revered as gospel. It elaborates on the distinct practices of Chinese enterprises that have emerged during the new wave of technological revolution and synthesizes the management principles behind the “non-linear growth” and “crossing the cycle” development of Chinese companies. The core idea posits that when change becomes the norm, disrupting equilibrium evolves into a proactive management strategy. Just as traditional Western management theories once contributed profound wisdom to the world, C Theory is destined to leave its mark in the history of global management scholarship, offering Chinese solutions and insights that guide more countries in achieving “beyond catch-up”.
