Learning and Catch-up in Singapore

This chapter focuses on the learning and catch-up experience of Singapore between 1965 and 2018. It attempts to contribute to both academic and practical policy discussion by examining the critical role of the state, and its determination of the policies, incentives, and institutions that played a crucial role in the pace and direction of learning. Case studies of industrial strategy and upgrading, public housing, and the development of regional transport hubs illuminate the experience of technological learning and policy learning as well as the process of catching up. The experience of past policy failures will also be highlighted. Finally, given the present challenging global and trade environment, relevant lessons for developing countries are drawn.