Steps for the introduction of technology management in developing economies: the role of public governments

Abstract

Governments, especially those in technologically laggard countries, face the challenge of breaking the vicious circle of low demand for technology, limited innovativeness, and inability to define comprehensive policies on research, technology and development (RTD). Most national or regional authorities address foreign direct investment for increasing inward technological flows and import regulations for protecting internal investors. Evidence shows the very limited impact of such measures alone, if not considered in broader and long-term perspective. Final demand adapts faster to the dominating international consumption patterns than the productive system. Operative techno-economie networks are being dismantled and not replaced by new ones in the country, or internationalized appropriately. Technology management needs to integrate commercial agents into technological policies, promote technological infrastructures and create islands of know-how and skills, in order to change innovation from exogenous to endogenous in these countries.