Abstract This study systematically presents a new interpretation of the rapid catching up of the smartphone industry in China using a model of industrial catch up based on windows of opportunity. From the view of sector innovation system, various types of windows of opportunity in the smartphone industry have been identified. Then we explore the different responses to the windows of opportunity, for latecomer and leading firms, respectively. Our results show that windows of opportunity emerge in the evolution of sector innovation system, and the opening of windows in combination with the strategic response by actors commonly makes the change of firms’ competitive positions in industries. Furthermore, this paper points out that latecomer firms during their initial catching up are able to make full use of windows of opportunity by leveraging the external advanced knowledge available and their complementary assets, while in the later stage of catchingup, inner innovation capabilities become essential for continuously taking advantage of these windows.
2016, Vol. 13 
