This book investigates the causal relationship between the development of indigenous technological capabilities and the ability of Asian firms to achieve sustained export success in global markets. The authors, Dieter Ernst, Lynn Krieger Mytelka, and Tom Ganiatsos, utilize a comparative analytical framework to examine how industrial policy and firm-level learning strategies influence competitiveness. By synthesizing empirical data from various Asian economies, the text argues that export performance is not merely a function of low labor costs but is fundamentally driven by the acquisition and mastery of complex production technologies.

Experts in development economics recognize this work as a significant contribution to understanding the industrialization patterns of the Asian Tigers. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for researchers focusing on trade policy and technological transfer in emerging markets.