ABSTRACT As global innovation cooperation continues to deepen, integrating into global innovation networks (GINs) has become an important pathway for latecomer firms to achieve technological catch‐up. This paper focuses on the unique perspective of integration into GINs and systematically reviews the relevant literature on technological catch‐up by latecomer firms in an open economy. The analysis indicates that expanding knowledge boundaries, optimizing resource allocation, and leveraging international knowledge spillovers are key mechanisms through which integration into GINs facilitates technological catch‐up by latecomer firms. Meanwhile, latecomer firms face challenges during integration, including cross‐border risk transmission and diffusion, the blockade of critical core technologies, and innovation path dependence. Based on these findings, this study systematically summarizes effective pathways for latecomer firms to achieve technological catch‐up through GINs, focusing on the synergy between local and global innovation networks, indirect integration into GINs, digital transformation, and differentiated integration strategies based on technological catch‐up stages. Future research directions are also outlined. This study not only provides a systematic analytical framework for understanding the relationship between GINs and technological catch‐up but also offers theoretical references and practical insights for emerging economies seeking suitable technological catch‐up pathways in a complex international context.
Chen et al. (2026) studied this question.