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Early industrialization of the developed countries has enabled their leadership in technological innovation, including environmentally sound technologies. ESTs are technologies that help prevent, control, or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Endorsed as an integral part of climate action, a binding obligation to ensure access for global south to these technologies remains missing from international environment law and international intellectual property rights law. Transfer of technology also faces certain economic barriers such as lack of infrastructure and human resources that enable adoption and absorption of ESTs. Moreover, there exists ideological differences between developed countries and developing and least developed countries regarding mechanism of technology transfer, creating an impasse in international negotiations to achieve EST transfer. In this paper the author has attempted to reframe the discussion on transfer of ESTs through a climate justice perspective. An incorporation of the practical aspects of the common but differentiated responsibilities of the developed countries into the TRIPS regime, in the form of binding obligations to technology transfer and financial assistance, or relaxations in patent protections, may provide adequate resolution. A balanced and rational approach to EST transfer, beyond the exigencies of global politics, is necessary for the continued prosperity of the Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision agriculture (PA) technology has proven effective in optimizing yield with minimum inputs and in reducing environmental pollution. In this paper, we aim to investigate factors influencing PA adoption in developing countries at both the farmer (individual) and farm (organizational) levels. Findings from 59 high-ranking journal articles were reviewed to determine factors that facilitate or hinder PA adoption: 63% of studies reported factors at the farm level and 37% at the individual level. At the individual level, factors promoting PA adoption included the technology's relative advantages, observability, trialability, farmer experience in using technology, innovativeness, risk tolerance, education, and knowledge, whereas farmer age and technology complexity hindered PA adoption. Factors promoting PA adoption at the farm level included farm size, resource availability, perceived need for technology characteristics, technology compatibility, social influence, competitive pressure, and government support. PA adoption should, thus, include both levels; hence, a multi-level set of adoption determinants is presented in this study. The findings not only broaden the research agenda for future PA adoption studies that address gaps in the existing literature but also provide a holistic way for entrepreneurial technology developers and policymakers to understand factors that affect PA adoption. The study, thus, paves the way for further investigations to address the causes of slow progress in adoption of innovative technologies, such as PA, especially in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-war era, particularly from the mid-1980s, can be seen as a turning point for various Asian countries. Japanese success in industrialisation based on technology transfer from the industrialised West and evolution of unique endogenous scientific and technological capacities led scholars to conceptualise 'late industrialisation' and 'catching up' strategies. In a large measure, the 'East Asian Miracle' led to some erroneous misconceptions on science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies. Various writings and commentators from Africa, Asia and Latin America advocated to follow the path of East Asian Dragons. These writings begun to assume that countries can build innovation systems or dynamic technological sectors of economy within their respective countries, without paying much attention to building and strengthening science and technology (S&T) eco-systems. There are now clear STI policy signals which point to the significance of building science and technology systems before fully embarking on innovation policies. Drawing on some exemplary cases, this essay will explore the importance of S&T systems in the context of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the effects of three channels of technology transfer—global value chain participation (GVCP), foreign technology import (FTI), and domestic technology purchase (DTP)—on innovation efficiency by using 11 years of data from Chinese manufacturing industries. Empirical results show FTI and GVCP significantly facilitate innovation efficiency, whereas DTP decreases it. Further, absorptive capacity (AC) positively moderates the relationship between FTI and innovation efficiency. Moreover, in the high-tech industry, we find that GVCP positively affects innovation efficiency, and AC positively moderates the effect of GVCP on innovation efficiency. This finding is informative from a strategic perspective as firms can make strategic decisions in the selection of technology transfer channels. In addition, firms may also absorb and apply external technologies while developing AC to improve enterprises' ability according to their own organizational and strategic contexts in order to achieve and maintain competitive advantages. This finding provides convincing empirical evidence on the relationship between technology transfer channels and innovation efficiency and valuable lessons to other developing countries for the selection of technology transfer channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to assess the dynamics of the innovation divide between China and the Triad, as well as to determine the factors that influence its evolution. The Triad consists of three economies traditionally dominating the world economy: the United States, the European Union, and Japan. The methodology involves the decomposition of the innovativeness of the economy into innovation capability, innovation position, and the relationship between them, which indicates the efficiency of the innovation system. The analysis of dynamic indexes and σ-convergence in all these components confirms that the global economy has been gradually losing clear polarization into innovation leaders, found among developed countries and innovation followers, which have traditionally been associated with developing nations. In addition to demonstrating fast improvement in the Summary Innovation Index of China towards the Triad, the paper has a clear contribution by showcasing China's improvement through the decomposed factors of the innovativeness of the economy. In comparison with the Triad, China has a proportionally higher innovation position and efficiency of the innovation system and a lower level of innovation capacity. This demonstrates its dependence on external sources of innovation and international technology transfer, e.g. through foreign direct investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the relationship between technological innovation and the status of the global value chain's (GVC) division of labor has been essentially affirmed by academia, the direct regression of all countries does not account for national differences pertaining to different economic development levels. This paper divides the countries selected for this study into developed and developing countries and then conducts empirical tests on two sample sets to explore the heterogeneity of technological innovation and GVC division of labor status. The results reveal the following: (1) in developed countries, the GVC division of labor status of high-end manufacturing is generally higher than that of developing countries; (2) in developed countries, the technological innovation of high-end manufacturing plays a significant role in promoting GVC's division of labor, while developing countries have a significant inhibitory effect; and (3) staff input and financial developmental levels have significantly promoted GVC's status in the division of labor. Earlier studies have shown that, in developing countries, technological innovation in high-end manufacturing industries does not fully serve the goal of exporting intermediate goods. This study's conclusions offer a new method of explaining the nature of a given country, the logic of technological innovation, and the differences in the GVC division of labor status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to identify current challenges that hinder university–industry (U-I) collaboration in Pakistan and presents future opportunities for promoting such collaborations in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach: This exploratory study presents new empirical evidence obtained from Pakistan via a questionnaire survey of 24 universities, 25 interviews with key stakeholders including industry managers and outputs from a high level workshop event. Findings: Although there is limited evidence of U-I engagement in Pakistan, the findings show that a lack of coordination between government, universities and industrial firms has hindered knowledge transfer between universities and industry. Such steps as utilising intermediaries to help broker effective collaborations and building trust-based relationships can help in socialising these types of scientific activities. Research limitations/implications: Any overall conclusions drawn from this exploratory study can only be tentative, as the findings represent a snapshot of current U-I collaboration initiatives in Pakistan. Practical implications: Less stringent policy interventions from government entities, as well as more universities willing to invite industry input on their board of studies might enable co-development of some university curriculums with industry partners. U-I collaborations could also help to boost innovation efforts in developing country firms. Originality/value: This paper also offers awareness into benefits of teaching activity collaboration with industry partners, which has been an under explored area of past U-I collaboration studies. The findings should be of interest for both innovation policy and higher education policy researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current context of Vietnam is that Vietnam is a developing country whose geographical shape is long and dynamic. Its logistics is also in the way of development and promising to have good potential. However, lack experience and technology, small and fragmented operation, fierce price competition among local enterprises, domination from foreign logistics giants are that factors that may hinder the growth of the local sector. It is then believed that cooperation among local firms could promote integration of the supply chain, making it more productive and so increase competitiveness of the industry. The study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of Vietnamese transportation and logistics firms using Malmquist Productivity Index, crafting a clearer picture of how these firms performed in terms of technical efficiency and innovation. Cat Lai Port being a key role in the industry was taken as a case to analyse strategic alliance opportunities using data envelopment analysis and Grey forecasting. Research findings indicate that half of the samples experienced efficiency progress, half experienced performance regress; most of efficiency improvement came from innovation. The study also found that strategic alliances between Cat Lai Port and some firms potentially improve these firms' efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate technology for sustainable development in developing countries should consider comprehensive societal aspects of the target area and, at the same time, ensure target areas are capable of sustainable transformation. However, appropriate technology has mainly been approached from the engineering or technological aspects, thus becoming a short-term or one-time technology transfer or, despite the social science approach, it has no definite theoretical background. For successful and sustainable appropriate technology activities, appropriate technology should be approached theoretically. Therefore, this study applies the theory of grassroots innovation to appropriate technology, examines how the concepts of grassroots innovation based on local community units can relate to appropriate technology activities in developing countries, and analyzes a case of appropriate technology activity to show that future appropriate technology activities should involve grassroots innovation. The results show that the principles of grassroots innovation underlie successful appropriate technology projects. • Sustainability of appropriate technology can be grounded on a grassroots innovation. • The concept of strategic niche management is applied to appropriate technology. • Context, driving force, niche, organizational form, and resource base are common constructs of the framework. • The case of Laos identifies the relationship between appropriate technology and grassroots innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of globalization in the creation and dissemination of technology across firms operating in 30 emerging and developing economies. Firm-level data from four rounds of Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Surveys from 2002 to 2014 is pooled to assess whether international exposure translates into greater propensity for firms to innovate. The viability of different channels of international technology transmission, i.e. exporting and importing activities, foreign licensing agreements and foreign direct investment are studied to analyze whether they indeed succeed in delivering the push to the firms operating in developing countries to innovate and as a result push them closer to the world's technology frontier. The empirical results endorse the view that exporting and importing activities and foreign licensing agreements are important channels for technology transfer. This study also acknowledges country, sector and firm specific characteristics and their differential capacity to benefit from foreign exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Seattle-based PATH is one of the world’s largest not-for profit organisations focused on improving health in low-income countries. This article argues the history of this understudied organisation is critical to understanding how collective action focused on facilitating developing countries’ access to essential health technologies is structured. Since its establishment almost 40 years ago, the organisation has been a catalyst for multidisciplinary public–private collaboration that has produced affordable, culturally appropriate health technologies. From its origins in reproductive health, enabling contraceptive technology transfers and advising on regulatory standards, to its more recent managerial roles in the development of inexpensive vaccines produced in developing countries, PATH has repeatedly illustrated how public–private collaboration in product research and development can increase poor populations’ access to essential health technologies. This in turn has provided substance to the contested narrative that engaging business is critical to reducing global health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Given the shortcomings of decentralization in terms of the transfer of skills and resources in countries where it was introduced, innovations, especially institutional ones, can be a way out for the development of territories. Considering the relationship between urban and rural areas, we can ask ourselves how territories that seize such an opportunity can influence the course of their development. With the advances in urban-rural development, could it be possible that these innovations improve the conditions found in the countryside while strengthening those of the cities? We assume that institutional innovations based on inclusive governance promote better production of goods and services in a territory. Thanks to proximity, these institutional innovations promote economic development of several territories. In this logic, we present the case of a rural commune in southern Benin that, based on innovative inclusive governance mechanisms, has introduced other innovations as part of a project on climate change resilience. Thanks to its proximity to two urban areas, Sô-Ava has laid the foundations for its development. Through a review of literature, the article draws on the territorial innovation and proximity theories to analyse the case of Sô-Ava, highlighting innovations implemented and how they contribute to its development and beyond. • Decentralisation as a lever for institutional innovation in developing countries • Innovations or essential approaches for economic and social development of developing countries municipalities • Spatial and socio-economic proximity, positive effects warranties of innovations on territorial development. • Innovation and multi-level governance of inter-territorial relations: two necessary aspects of resource mobilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, the quality of patents has not been deeply analysed, despite its relevance for scaling up incentives in innovation and technology transfer. This paper fills this gap using a novel quality index for Latin-American patents (QILAP). Our quality index draws on a large sample computed for 28,998 patent families, estimating over 21.000 individual indicators. The QILAP was calculated using seven patent quality variables, including forward citations, number of inventors, and internationalisation. Besides, eight individual indexes for different scientific fields were generated; the combination of those indexes creates our novel QILAP measure. Results contribute to determining which Latin-American countries occupy a privileged position related to technology development and deliver valuable information for policy decisions. • A novel methodology to measure patent quality in Latin America is created. • Eight different technical field indexes were created to measure patent quality in Latin America. • Countries like Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina obtained the top rankings of patent quality. • Panama obtained the highest patent quality for Latin America in 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En este trabajo se procura evaluar la producción, el uso y la difusión de tecnología en la estructura productiva de los países emergentes, en particular del Brasil, China, la Federación de Rusia y Sudáfrica, mediante el análisis de: i) usuarios y productores de tecnología; ii) contenido de investigación y desarrollo (I+D) en cada grupo de sectores, y iii) flujos de conocimientos técnicos entre esos grupos. Para alcanzar los objetivos fijados se utilizan matrices de insumo-producto combinadas con estadísticas de I+D sectoriales. Los principales resultados revelan considerables diferencias entre los países emergentes y también entre países en desarrollo y desarrollados, incluso en la jerarquía sectorial en cuanto a la producción y utilización de conocimientos tecnológicos, y en la dirección de los principales flujos de tecnología entre sectores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Global North is historically responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, Newly Industrializing Countries (NICs) are expected to overtake developed country emissions in the coming years. At the same time, NICs are climbing the ladder of the global economy, increasing their competitiveness on the global stage and catching up with technological competencies of developed economies. Against this background, this paper explores innovation and collaboration in Climate Change Mitigation Technologies (CCMTs) in NICs. The research question is whether the propensity to innovate and diffuse CCMTs is impacted by technological collaboration with two highly developed countries, Germany and The United States. The sample of NICs includes the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) plus Israel, Mexico, and Turkey, in a panel from 1995 to 2015. The empirical results suggest that collaboration with both Germany and the U.S. is highly significant for domestic CCMT innovation in NICs. These findings are important because, stepping beyond the literature on the merits and drawbacks of global climate governance tools such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and related UNFCCC processes, they show that collaboration for climate and environmental technologies could become a key tool to significantly improve the chances to stay in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. Finally, the policy advice for NICs and developing countries is to, above all else, focus on incubating strong technological innovation systems, including strengthening domestic Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), as well as to enhance technological collaboration with developed countries. • We present a time-series panel from 1995 to 2015. • This research explores Climate Mitigation Technologies (CCMTs) in Newly Industrializing Countries. • Technological collaboration with Germany and the U.S. drives NICs CCMT innovation. • Novel empirical models capture the role of absorptive capacities and domestic innovation systems. • A machine-learning governance index is used as a reliable proxy for governance quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation environments are places where open innovation and technology are boosted. The purpose of this paper is to present the evolution of innovation and technology environments through the most covered topics in the scientific literature. In this sense, technology transfer has been the subject of research since 1975; however, in the period from 2006–2021, the focus shifted to innovation. It was possible to observe an exponential growth of the term, "innovation", but it is no longer the central theme and is linked to different terms related to different ways of innovating, characterizing open innovation variables. In this article, 4650 academic studies involving innovation environments were reviewed. The analysis identified the nomenclatures that characterized innovation environments and the particularities of these environments. The contributions, such as which countries developed more research in this area, and the analysis of which environments were more common in these countries were also presented. Additionally, some methodological and theoretical gaps in the current research were identified, providing pathways to support future research and practices seeking a better understanding and development of innovation environments. This article can also serve as a basis for a consultation for members of the quadruple helix, who wish to install or create environments for innovation and attract companies or investments to develop any open innovation activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] DCVMN is growing in size and impact, and is shaping the global and regional vaccination landscape. [•] International initiatives are expanding influenza vaccines’ manufacture in developing countries. [•] DCVMN goals are aligned to those of GAVI, UNICEF and governments to save lives by vaccination. [•] Technology transfer is recognized as a main factor that has shaped the developing world's vaccine supply. [•] Introduction of the first hepatitis E vaccine illustrated the DCVMN members’ innovative capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often suggested that the rate of innovation in a country is essentially dependent on the availability of intellectual property protection. However, the economic literature, particularly on the role of patents, generally dismisses a direct and automatic relationship between such protection and innovation. Patents may not encourage innovations when some contextual factors are not present, while other mechanisms may be more effective. Patents, in addition, are not a good indicator of innovation. Moreover, the proliferation of patents, including in the area of technologies relevant to address climate change, may block innovation and create barriers to the transfer of technology to developing countries. This article argues that a serious discussion on the role of intellectual property, so far eluded by developed countries, should be undertaken in the context of climate change negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial clusters evolve dynamically as the external environment changes. To better understand the nature of cluster evolution, which has nurtured economic growth in early 2000s, strategy and organisation scholars have attempted to unpack contributors to cluster evolution from the perspective of the ‘environmental uncertainty’ and ‘resource abundance’ effects. The paper adopts and extend an earlier extant model through empirical testing of the thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) industrial cluster in Taiwan, a developing country. This study modifies the extant network model by adding a diffusion of technological innovation index to cluster evolving. Using the extended case study, the study examines the dynamic evolutionary process in the TFT-LCD industrial cluster. It was found that the evolution of the TFT-LCD industrial cluster resembles the theoretical argument in some respects. The characteristics of network change are modified according to these results. Implication for policymakers and decision-makers of developing countries are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recently, there has been considerable excitement about the economic potential of the 'developmental network state'-decentralized government policies that successfully accelerated growth in several high- and medium-income countries. The question remains whether such a strategy could be successful in less-developed nations whose scientific and technological resources were relatively limited. This paper analyzes the trajectory of Chile, a Southern country which, despite adverse conditions, managed to produce something akin to an economic miracle during the last few decades. Our argument is that Chile's success was based on the developmental network state strategy. Moreover, we highlight the centrality to understanding the Chilean experience of the concept of 'network failures'-a common phenomenon that occurs when domestic production would be best served by network forms of organization but for a variety of reasons, these networks either fail to materialize or fail to take hold (Schrank and Whitford ). Over and over again, we see that the logic behind the actions of the Chilean state was to provide resources that reduced the likelihood of network failures. We examine three case studies of successful export sectors: salmon; wine; and fruit and vegetables. The paper outlines some of the challenges faced by the Chilean model and assesses its long-term viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate has obvious direct effects on agricultural production. The reverse is more apparent than ever as greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are tallied. The development and effective diffusion of new agricultural practices and technologies will largely shape how and how well farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change. This adaptation and mitigation potential is nowhere more pronounced than in developing countries where agricultural productivity remains low; poverty, vulnerability and food insecurity remain high; and the direct effects of climate change are expected to be especially harsh. Creating the necessary agricultural technologies and harnessing them to enable developing countries to adapt their agricultural systems to changing climate will require innovations in policy and institutions as well. Potential constraints to innovation involve both the private and public sectors in both developing and developed countries. The process of transferring agricultural innovations across agroecological and climatic zones is often subject to agronomic constraints. Often, the most binding constraints occur at the adoption stage, with several factors that potentially impede poor farmers’ access to and use of new technologies. Based on discussions of these constraints, we derive six policy principles and use these principles to suggest several specific investments and policy priorities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The Innovation Systems (IS) literature tends not to emphasize the crucial impact of international knowledge and innovation exchange and collaboration through, for example, inter-firm and intra-firm networks and Global Value Chains (GVC). In developing countries this aspect is crucial, with integration in GVC playing a growing and very important role in accessing knowledge and enhancing learning and innovation. However, there is no agreement in the literature about how innovation systems and GVC interact, and how this interaction is likely to affect enterprise learning. Three main conclusions emerge from the theoretical analysis and evidence presented in this paper. First, learning mechanisms can vary widely within the various forms of governance of GVC: they can be the result of the pressure to achieve international standards, or be facilitated by direct involvement of the value chain leaders when the suppliers’ competence is low and the risk of failure to comply is high. When the competences of the actors in the value chain are complementary, learning is mutual and is based on intense face-to-face interactions. Second, as we “open” IS to foreign sources of knowledge, the relationship between GVCs and IS is nonlinear and endogenous, and mutually affecting. On the basis of our model, we would expect a well-structured and efficient innovation system would help to reduce transaction complexity and enable transactions based on relational forms of GVC governance. Third, the internal governance of GVC is a dynamic phenomenon that is subject to continuous adjustments and changes, and the nature of the IS affects this co-evolution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: This article explores in depth the role of indigenous and foreign innovation efforts in technological change and catching up and their interactions in the emerging economies. It presents original evidence and argues that, despite the potential offered by globalization and a liberal trade regime, the benefits of international technology diffusion can only be delivered with parallel indigenous innovation efforts and the presence of modern institutional and governance structures and conducive innovation systems. This conclusion is compounded by the expected inappropriateness of Northern technology for countries in the developing South that calls for greater efforts to develop indigenous innovation. In this sense, indigenous and foreign innovation efforts are complementary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Little is known about how MNE-affiliates are using their linkage capabilities to source or combine technological inputs in emerging economies. This paper attempts to address this critical gap in the literature by comparing and contrasting innovation practices (IPs) employed by MNE-affiliates in two large emerging economies, India and Brazil. Using a sample of over 1200 MNE-affiliates, factor analysis and segmentation techniques identified different combinations of technology inputs for innovation and the factors that influence the knowledge linkages between MNE-affiliates and national innovation systems. Our findings demonstrate the critical role played by host nations’ industrial policy in shaping IPs of MNE-affiliates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: This paper explores the role of indigenous and foreign innovation efforts in technological upgrading in developing countries, taking into account sectoral specificities in technical change. Using a Chinese firm-level panel dataset covering 2001–05, the paper decomposes productivity growth into technical change and efficiency improvement and examines the impact of indigenous and foreign innovation efforts on these changes. Indigenous firms are found to be the leading force on the technological frontier in the low- and medium-technology industries, while foreign-invested firms enjoy a clear lead in the high-technology sector. Collective indigenous R&D activities at the industry level are found to be the major driver of technology upgrading of indigenous firms that push out the technology frontier. While foreign investment appears to contribute to static industry capabilities, R&D activities of foreign-invested firms have exerted a significant negative effect on the technical change of local firms over the sample period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In developing countries, resource-dependent communities are disproportionately affected, yet less equipped to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change. Though generally associated with institutional adjustments, technology transfer, absorption and diffusion provide outstanding opportunities to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities and the ecosystems on which they rely to the risks of climate variability and extremes. In spite of the potential for technology diffusion as it emerges from the international regime, scientific evidence suggests that global efforts to transfer climate-smart technologies needed for successful adaptation in developing countries have fallen short. This paper examines current challenges and opportunities related to technology transfer for climate change adaptation in developing countries, as well as the contribution of the United Nations Development Programme - Climate Change Adaptation Team (UNDP-CCA) in promoting technology absorption and diffusion at the country level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the potential role and pitfalls of corporate initiatives related to access to intellectual property in the transfer of environmentally friendly technology especially to developing countries. An initial investigation of how patents can affect environmentally beneficial technology transfer is forwarded, contrasting the approaches of the public and private sector in the encouragement of environmentally beneficial technology transfer. A wide variety of potential influences are analyzed, with specific focus being placed on the eco-patent commons project, the international encouragement of clean technologies, patent pools, open source systems, and enabled invention disclosures. This is analyzed in the context of the quest to encourage climate-friendly technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sectoral approaches have been gaining currency in the international climate debate as a possible remedy to the shortfalls of the Kyoto Protocol. Proponents argue that a sector-based architecture can more easily invite the participation of developing countries, address competitiveness issues, and enable immediate emissions reductions. However, given the numerous proposals, much confusion remains as to what sectoral approaches actually are. This article provides a simple, yet comprehensive, taxonomy of the various proposals for sectoral approaches. Based on the dual criteria of content and actors, three such types are identified and described: government targets and timetables; industry targets and timetables; and transnational technology cooperation. For each of these types, existing proposals and ongoing initiatives are discussed. In a second step, the article analyses the political landscape in which sectoral approaches are being debated, identifying the interests of their key advocates as well as the concerns of their critics. The Japanese government and energy-intensive manufacturing industries represent the main proponents of sectoral approaches to address the problems of carbon leakage and economic competitiveness. Developing countries, on the other hand, are wary of attempts to impose emissions reduction targets on their economies through sectoral target-setting. They, therefore, interpret sectoral approaches as sector-based forms of technology cooperation and technology transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in its present form concentrates on single projects, mostly in isolation of the host country's national and technological context. CDM project patterns largely follow those of foreign direct investments, resulting in a relatively large share of rapidly industrialising developing countries in the CDM project pipeline. This paper suggests that the CDM position of developing countries presently underrepresented in the CDM pipeline could be improved in three ways. First, host countries must improve their domestic CDM structures and would benefit from a systematic selection of low-carbon energy technologies based on priority sectors and energy service needs. Second, host countries would need to map the markets for technology transfer and diffusion so that market system blockages can be identified and removed. Third, at the governance level of the CDM Executive Board, a greater role for programmatic CDM is recommended, as well as a more positive approach towards additionality and differentiation between CDM project types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has introduced many changes over the last decades causing a socio-economic evolution based on information acquisition and knowledge dissemination. It helped create an emerging global information-based society with innovative means of communication that can help in increasing competitiveness for individuals, organisations and societies. ICT has helped generate new forms and structures of business, social and economic entities that are no longer bound by geographic or time constraints, but instead depend mainly on being connected all the time. This article addresses the efforts taking place in Africa to minimise the digital gap and actively join the global information society. Many African nations have invested heavily in building their ICT infrastructure to help improve the readiness of their communities and this article provides an overview of some of the projects implemented to build the African information society while demonstrating some the lessons learned and experiences acquired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines international technology transfers using firm-level data across 43 developing countries. Its findings show that exporting and importing activities are important channels for the transfer of technology. Majority foreign-owned firms are less likely to engage in technological innovations than minority foreign-owned firms or domestic firms. The authors interpret this finding as evidence that the technology transferred from multinational parents to majority-owned subsidiaries is more mature than that transferred to minority-owned subsidiaries. Their findings also suggest that foreign-owned subsidiaries rely mostly on the direct transfer of technology from their parents and that firms that import intermediate inputs are more likely to acquire new technology from their machinery suppliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Six years after its establishment, the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers’ Network (DCVMN) has become the main representing body for emerging vaccine manufacturers from the developing world. The Network''s main strategic priority (increase access to DPT-based combination vaccines containing vaccines against Hepatitis B (HepB) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)) has now come close to fulfillment due in part to the transfer of conjugation technology from The Netherlands Vaccine Institute (NVI) to various manufacturers of the Network. It is argued that at the international level more push mechanisms for product development involving DCVM are needed, including those promoting access to technology and transfer of technology, know how and technical skills from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries to developing countries. At the national level, governments of countries in which DCVMN manufacturers operate should provide more generous funding for all aspects of vaccines and immunization including incentives to manufacturers to develop and import new technologies. These two approaches will contribute to the long-term viability of domestic or regional vaccine manufacturing, which in itself is critical to ensure global equity of access to vaccines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

International organisations advocate global convergence in intellectual property as a prerequisite for successful innovation strategies. The difficulties of achieving such harmonisation are, however, evident from the attempts of several nations to develop divergent intellectual property systems. This paper explores the causes of institutional divergence and uses intellectual property for seed markets in India as a case study. The Indian seed market case demonstrates that convergence and divergence may go hand in hand. The ‘domestication’ of global protection models for seed and biotechnology may require divergence in order to be accepted by domestic stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the previous studies in global R&D were focused on developed economies, meaning the situation of developing countries has been neglected. Consequently, this work conducts a deep case study of eight Taiwanese companies with overseas R&D units. The sample companies came mainly from two industrial sectors: computer hardware and software. Preliminary research findings include the following: (1) firms in developing countries seem all to follow a similar path in internationalising their R&D activities, (2) companies from developed and developing countries appear to have the same motivations and use the similar methods in globalising their R&D, (3) communication and managerial process of global innovation differ for hardware and software product developments and (4) problems of communication, language and cultural difference critically affect the performance of global R&D and can be reduced by employing standard manuals, a unified language and international liaisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economies grow by upgrading the products they produce and export. The technology, capital, institutions, and skills needed to make newer products are more easily adapted from some products than from others. Here, we study this network of relatedness between products, or ‘product space,’ finding that more-sophisticated products are located in a densely connected core whereas less-sophisticated products occupy a less-connected periphery. Empirically, countries move through the product space by developing goods close to those they currently produce. Most countries can reach the core only by traversing empirically infrequent distances, which may help explain why poor countries have trouble developing more competitive exports and fail to converge to the income levels of rich countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides insights on the papers/studies on cross-national transfer of policy methods to developing countries, including Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Senegal, published within the issue. The author explores the lessons learned from the historical and contemporary narratives and analyses in the previous articles. He commented that the success or failure of a particular policy or technology transfer does not only depend on the efficacy and goodness of the policy, but also on the human factor and the socio-cultural values in which the policy is integrated.

Abstract: Biotechnological innovation is gaining increased recognition as an important tool for improving global health. The challenge, however, lies in defining the role of technology transfer to develop therapies for diseases prevalent in developing countries. During the past decade, a large disparity emerged between the developed and developing world in accessing affordable medicines because of the pharmaceutical industry''s focus on health areas bearing greatest profits. Discussed herein are several mechanisms that provide partial solutions to this challenge. The Office of Technology Transfer of the US National Institutes of Health has increased its technology licensing pertaining to neglected diseases to partners in developing regions. Establishing partnerships through the transfer of technologies and assisting indigenous institutions build R and D capacity may positively impact policies on protection of intellectual property rights and increase multinational company investments in lesser-developed countries. This will most probably result in the development of more accessible therapies for those in need. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article analyzes the U.S. licensing experience longitudinally, discussing policy implications, addressing emerging trends specifically among developing nations, and suggesting that royalty revenue-driven technology licensing in developing countries is the wrong public policy to adopt. Enactment of the Patent and Trademark Law Amendments Act in 1980 encouraged research institutions in the U.S. to patent technology developed with federal funding. This enabled substantial growth in patenting. The article explores the effects of the act in licensing at U.S. research institutions. A detailed examination of licensing patterns among U.S. institutions reveals four broad institutional categories. Investment in patents and licensing programs has certain advantages, such as encouraging development of technology and innovation. But earning licensing income from academic research is neither a lucrative nor a reliable financial investment. It is unlikely that scientific centers in developing countries would prove more likely or capable or producing readily commercial technologies than those in the U.S. The article suggests that efforts to transfer technology and foster economic growth in developing countries ought to be encouraged, but emphasis on licensing programs may prove to be financially unproductive.

International technology transfer benchmark data can be used to understand the implications of promoting technology transfer in higher education institutions in developing countries. While the data indicates that the average return, after 8–10 years of activity, is around 1 to 2 per cent of the annual research expenditure, the returns are, however, characterised by high uncertainty and variability. An understanding of the nature of the returns and the dynamics of the technology transfer process is necessary for institutional and public sector managers to manage this emerging discipline effectively. Unrealistic expectations of the returns can lead to dysfunctional policy decisions. The data presented in this article, together with a dynamic model, provides background to, and an aid to understanding, the issues, so as to promote better decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their struggle to survive, enterprises in developing countries are rushing to keep abreast with the technological advancements. As the indigenous technological capabilities of developing countries are weak by default, they intend to import technology internationally. Experience showed that, in doing so, a number of obstacles might render the technology acquisition process by them, less effective, or even sometimes, a failure economically and/or technically. Cases in developing countries show that the technological capabilities of the technology recipient country are a decisive factor in successfully transferring and absorbing of the particular technology. Many other factors affect the process, such as education, culture, legislations, enabling environment, etc. Building the indigenous technological capabilities should be the ultimate goal of the development countries in order to cope with the aggressive competing world. Government of developing countries should review their strategic plans in order to consider the fast moving technology advancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology changes the paradigm of economic activities and networking. Because of technological changes, market competition becomes wider and harder and networking becomes more international, inter-sectoral and inter-institutional. Technology also changes the mode of technology transfer and technology strategy. Technology transfer becomes easier and more formal since some portion of tacit knowledge is codified and stored in software. Technology strategy at the national level places more emphasis on private sector initiative; and at the corporate level it becomes more comprehensive including the functions from procurement to marketing. International networking is important especially for developing countries. Its means range from foreign direct investment (FDI) to licensing. A suitable means depends on the conditions of a recipient country. In addition, technology assimilation and domestic diffusion is necessary for full use of acquired technology. Further, domestic networking among industry, universities and public research institutes is necessary to utilise all technological capability for industrial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the limited number of studies on how agglomeration and spatial proximity contribute to the establishment of technology linkages between foreign transnational corporations and suppliers in developing countries. We use firm-level data, collected at the bus and truck plants of AB Volvo in Brazil, China, India, and Mexico, to analyze the extent to which "local" suppliers, located near the assembly plants, are in a better position than are other suppliers in the host country to take advantage of the technological assistance that Volvo provides as part of its ongoing business relations. Our analysis shows that many suppliers are provided with technological assistance, related both to "embodied" and "disembodied" forms of technology. Our main finding is that the higher transaction and communication costs that Volvo has to bear when interacting with nonlocal suppliers, compared to local suppliers, only marginally seem to affect the extent to which the suppliers are provided with technological assistance. However, geographic proximity is more crucial for opportunities for the suppliers to absorb external technology. Especially in China and India, but also in Brazil, local suppliers take advantage of their interaction with Volvo to a larger extent than do other suppliers. For many of the smaller domestic companies that make up the dominant share of Volvo's local suppliers, low transaction and communication costs and the opportunity to interact regularly with Volvo are an important determinant of the successful absorption of external technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article revisits the debate over appropriate approaches to the regulation of technology transfer to developing countries. It begins by contrasting two stylized approaches, labeled for convenience the“New International Economic Order” model and the“Globalization” model, which have historically struggled for acceptance. It then explores the implications for the choice between these or alternative models of the fact that many developing countries presently lack the institutional capacity required to provide optimal regulation of technology transfer. Existing discussions appear either to assume that developing countries possess sufficient institutional capacity to design and implement sophisticated regulatory regimes, or to take the opposite approach and assume a drastic shortage of institutional capacity. Both approaches ignore the intermediate category of countries that do face constraints upon institutional capacity but are striving to overcome them. The analysis here is intended to demonstrate the general point that a country's present and future institutional capacity ought to be considered highly relevant to the design of central aspects of the regime that it uses to regulate technology transfer. The analysis is also designed to highlight the specific need for attention to the distinctive questions of regulatory design which arise in countries that are in the process of enhancing their institutional capacity in this and other regulatory contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology transfer practices, though widely orchestrated for their significance, are rarely known for leading innovation and technological progress in developing countries. The gap between the acts of transfer and innovation has persisted mainly for two reasons. First, the orientation of learning and skill-development strategies in developing countries has largely been geared to sustaining rather than challenging or building on the prevailing state of knowledge. Second, the focus of policy on technology as a 'black box' entity has left the underlying issue of institutional and organizational fragmentation in developing countries unattended. Joint ventures are often preferred to other methods of technology transfer for their impact to break the cultural mould in the 'black box' and set the forces of change in motion. But they constitute only a small proportion of foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries; and where they occur, local partners are often relegated to activities that hardly involve the challenge of innovation. There is now a growing tide of awakening in developing countries that technology transfer can be better managed to leverage local innovation effort. Using the experience of Malaysia in technology transfer and economic growth, this paper discusses policy issues that would need to be addressed to enhance the effectiveness of technology transfer, in general, and joint ventures, in particular, as a vehicle for innovation and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study about the incidences and importance that the technology transfer has in the technological development of a developing country is done in this paper. Furthermore, the disadvantages, advantages, and topics for an efficient execution of the technology transference process are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides a partial test case of the argument that developing countries might be able to `leapfrog' earlier technological paradigms and catch up in the field of electronics using evidence from Singapore's electronics industry. Role of government; Contribution of electronics to manufacturing; Corporate learning in Singapore; Technology accumulation; Implications of evidence from Singapore.

The article discusses issues related to the flow of critical advanced technology to North-South and its implications for international security in the post Cold War period. It was during the era of Cold War that the West kept East in a state of oblivion about advanced technology for fear of the military threat it might pose to international security. In order to develop rapid defense industrialization, a number of Third World nations have grown heavily dependent on technology transfers from advanced industrial economies.

Experience with information technology (IT) implementation in the local administrations of less developed countries (LDCs) has been largely disappointing. Conventional wisdom suggests that such implementation efforts are usually inappropriate to the information-poor environments of many LDCs. This study describes the Governorates Project in Egypt, which seems to have been an encouraging exception to such "wisdom." The project, which was initiated in 1987 by the Egyptian Cabinet's In formation and Decision Support Center (IDSC), represented a significant administrative and technological innovation because it sought to implement an IDSC in each of the 27 governorates of Egypt. The purpose of each governorate IDSC was to provide computer-based information and decision support to the governor and other local administrators. Based on our findings, three stages of the project are identified -- implementation, evaluation, and transformation of the innovation. Three theoretical perspectives derived from past research, i.e., functional, political/symbolic, and social information processing, were used to explain the project outcomes, such as the governors' perceptions and behaviors concerning their IDSCs. Results suggest that the symbolic/political and social information processing perspectives had considerable power in explaining the outcomes during implementation, whereas the functional perspective was particularly effective in explaining the out-comes during evaluation and transformation. The theoretical framework and findings suggest considerable potential for understanding IT implementations in both business and administrative settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity consumption from lighting accounts for about 15% of total power demand and 5–6% of greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. It is therefore a promising avenue to achieve considerable energy savings through technological innovation and upgrading. India has been very successful in recent years with a nationwide roll-out of modern light-emitting diode (LED) applications. This study uses the framework of technology innovation systems to identify the actors, institutions, and processes behind the diffusion of this technology. Our findings indicate that national innovation strategies, along with low-carbon technology (LCT) transfer policies, helped to bring down the cost of LED lamps in a rapidly expanding domestic market. Based on the findings, we further explore lessons for broader issues of low-carbon technology transfer and suggest an emerging intermediate step between north–south and south–south technology transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Increase of influenza vaccine production capacity in developing countries has been identified as an important element of global pandemic preparedness. Nevertheless, technology transfer for influenza vaccine production to developing country vaccine manufacturers has proven difficult because of lack of interested technology providers. As an alternative to an individual provider–recipient relationship, a technology and training platform (a “hub”) for a generic non-proprietary process was established at a public sector European manufacturer''s site. The conditions for setting up such a platform and the potential applicability of this model to other biologicals are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]