Q. It can be argued that Japan's explicit promotion of its microchip industry was an excellent paradigm of successful industrial policy. What criteria could you apply to calculate whether such a policy is or is not successful? Judging from your own stated criteria, was Japan's exercise successful? Why or why not? What information would a government needs in order to increase the probability that its industrial policy could promote long term self-generated economic growth?
Answer: It is dispute that Japan's subsidies to its nascient microchip industry were an important factor in putting Japan on the world map in this area. Though minimal criteria for a successful industrial policy would be that the infant industry mature and that it prove to be a profitable area of the country's comparative benefit, In this case one might dispute that the latter part of the above statement wasn't fulfilled since the microchip industry was adopted by thus many countries that it became a "commodity". Specifically it became a product with a very low profit margin which wasn't really a good use of Japan's resources given their alternative uses.