A latecomer's strategy to promote a technology standard: The case of Datang and TD-SCDMA

•The paper studied how a latecomer promoted TD-SCDMA, an international technology standard.•Not only leading technologies but also special capabilities were needed in this process.•Special capabilities included getting support from the government and non-major stakeholders.•The paper offers new insights into catching up through international technology standards. This paper studied the key strategies used by Datang, a local Chinese firm, to promote TD-SCDMA in order to explore an under-researched topic: how could a latecomer promote a technology standard? The findings suggest that Datang faced formidable challenges because of latecomer disadvantage and transitional institutions. The development of innovation capabilities and new technologies is needed but far from sufficient. It is necessary to develop special capabilities to get support from the government and public stakeholders such as scholars. The experience of Datang offers new insights into the development and adoption of technology standards sponsored by latecomers in developing countries.