Foreign Technology Transfer Research Articles

IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE POLICIES ON EMERGING ECONOMIES IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD

This paper will explore the complex relationship between international trade policies and the economic path of emerging economies, examining the opportunities and challenges that arise in a globalized world. As an economy transitions from developing to developed status, it is often confronted with a myriad of regulations on international trade, such as tariffs, free trade agreements, and export/import restrictions, all of which directly affect its growth potential, competitive positioning, and market access. Increased interdependence in markets through globalization makes most emerging economies adopt trade policies that usually favor foreign access, technology transfer, and inflow of investment to the economy. Such policy positions also create vulnerabilities and vulnerabilities include dependency on stronger economies, exposure to turbulent market conditions, and undermining of domestic industries. Drawing insights from critical analysis of both the frameworks of trade policies and case studies, the paper aims to identify how emerging economies can navigate opportunities and challenges in navigating towards sustainable growth within an increasingly integrated global economy

Coevolution of technical change and income inequality in developed and developing countries

ABSTRACT Recent research challenges the long-held belief that economic growth, technical progress, and improved income distribution are inherently linked. Despite rapid technological advancements in recent decades, income inequality has increased. This study seeks empirical evidence on the relationship between technical change and income inequality, focusing on the roles of heterogeneity and appropriability. Using panel data from 75 countries (grouped into ‘developing’ and ‘developed’) from 1983 to 2015, the researchers applied cointegration tests, unit root tests, and a vector error correction model. They examined variables related to technology creation, diffusion, and the Gini index. The findings indicate that technical change, particularly when it is appropriable, often coevolves with increased income inequality. In developed countries, innovation rewards systems contribute to income disparities, while in developing countries, foreign technology transfer reinforces existing inequalities. The study suggests that without redistributive mechanisms, technical progress can lead to trade-offs that hinder overall development.

THE ROLE OF BOOT CONTRACTS IN ACHIEVING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – THE CASE OF ALGERIA

The BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) contract is considered one of the innovative mechanisms for managing public facilities due to its importance in implementing investment projects, particularly in construction, operation, and property transfer. Its significance emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century and was further reinforced after the Second World War, amidst the presence of war-stricken economies. Additionally, there was an ideological shift in the role of the state from being a guardian state to an intervening state, which led to the emergence of public law in business affairs. The BOOT contract became one of its cornerstones as countries resorted to international economic contracts. Despite Algeria’s adoption of the BOOT contract as one of the forms of international contracts due to its importance in attracting foreign direct investment and technology transfer, this did not prompt Algerian lawmakers to establish a specific legal framework for it. This is despite the modifications that have affected the specific system, notably Presidential Decree No. 15-247, which is considered one form of concession contracts.

Assets of foreignness in a regulated industry

Purpose Foreign subsidiaries incur substantial institutional conformity costs because they have to respond to host-country institutional pressures (Slangen & Hennart, 2008). The purpose of this paper is to study this type of cost from institutional and regulatory perspectives. The authors argue that these costs decrease when the host country adopts concepts of international regulations that multinationals may be familiar with due to their own home country regulation experience. This prior regulatory experience gives foreign subsidiaries an advantage of foreignness (AoF), which can offset their liability of foreignness (LoF). Design/methodology/approach This study compared the returns on assets of 35 domestic firms with those of foreign subsidiaries in the Brazilian energy industry between 2002 and 2021, using regression dynamic panel data. Findings The existence of a relationship between the international regulatory norm and the Brazilian regulator has transformed the LoF into an advantage of foreignness to compete with local energy firms. The results also suggest that the better the regulatory quality of the subsidiary’s country of origin, the better its performance in Brazil, as it can reduce compliance costs. Finally, the greater the psychic distance between Brazil and the foreign subsidiary’s home country, the worse its performance. Research limitations/implications The research suggests that one of the keys to competitiveness in host countries is local regulatory ties. Prior international regulatory experience gives foreign subsidiaries an asset of foreignness (AoF). This result complements the current institutional and regulatory foreignness studies on emerging economies (Cuervo-Cazurra & Genc, 2008; Mallon et al., 2022) and the institutional asymmetry between home and host country (Mallon & Fainshmidt, 2017). Practical implications This research suggests that one of the keys to competitiveness in host countries is local regulatory ties. Prior international regulatory experience gives foreign subsidiaries an asset of foreignness (AoF). This result complements the current institutional and regulatory foreignness studies on emerging economies (Cuervo-Cazurra & Genc, 2008; Mallon et al., 2022) and the institutional asymmetry between home and host country (Mallon & Fainshmidt, 2017). The practical implication is that the relationship between conformity costs, capital budget calculation and strategic planning for internationalization will be related to the governance quality of the home country of multinationals. The social implication is that a country interested in attracting more direct foreign investment to areas that need foreign technology transfer and resources may consider adopting international regulatory standards. Social implications The social implication is that a country interested in attracting more direct foreign investment to areas that need foreign technology transfer and resources may consider adopting international regulatory standards. Originality/value This research discuss firm and local regulator tie is one of core competitiveness in host countries (Yang and Meyer, 2020). This study also complements the current institutional and regulatory foreignness studies in emerging economy (Cuervo-Cazurra & Genc, 2008; Mallon et al., 2022). Second, prior regulatory experience of multinational enterprise in similar environment can affect its foreign affiliate performance (Perkins, 2014). Third, this study confirms current literature that argues that knowledge and ability to operate in an institutionalized country can be transferred from parent to affiliate. In the end, this study investigates whether AoF persists when host governments improve the governance of their industries.

Debate around U.S. Foreign Trade Legislation as an Element of Détente in Soviet-American Relations (1969–1979)

Détente in Soviet-American relations throughout the 1970s was a complex and multifaceted process. The interaction of the two states as regards foreign trade, technology transfer and scientific exchanges was an important part of it. On the one hand, according to some détente ideologists, a critical mass of commercial ties along with scientific and technological projects established in accordance with the tenets of equality and mutual benefit could have created conditions for overcoming the Cold War and maintaining peaceful coexistence in the foreseeable future. At the same time, it was in the sphere of foreign trade that sharp disagreements first manifested themselves, indicating a clear-cut rift between the external political goals of the superpowers and the ability of their internal legislative systems to address these challenges. This article is devoted to reviewing the processes of transforming US foreign trade legislation during the détente period. It aims to insert this track into the pattern of forming Washington's course towards the Soviet state from the late 1960s to 1979. The research draws on the documents of both chambers of Congress, revealing the content of the debate on the adoption of export regulation laws and reflecting the views on this issue that existed at that time. The digital documents of the US State Department and Presidents R. Nixon and J. Carter are used to reflect their attitude vis-à-vis trade matters. It is shown how the executive and legislative branches interacted when updating the regulatory framework of foreign trade. The conclusion holds that while maintaining the general liberal vector in drafting foreign trade laws, they have always contained control standards for high-tech products export to socialist countries aimed at curbing scientific and technological progress in the USSR. As a result, the economic, scientific and technical foundation of détente in Soviet-American relations remained feeble and proved inadequate for preventing the confrontational recession in the early 1980s.

The Interaction between the Investment Behavior of Transnational Corporations and the International Political and Economic System

With the development of economic globalization and world modularization, more and more economic activities transcend national boundaries, making the connection between the organic economic whole formed through foreign trade, capital flow, technology transfer and other activities become closer. Transnational Corporations (TNCs) come into being in this context, making the global convergence trend of the economies of the world in production, distribution, exchange and consumption links more obvious. Because TNCs usually conduct economic activities in two or more countries, their strong economic power will inevitably affect the economic, political, cultural and social life of the country. On the one hand, the investment and business behavior of TNCs will have a series of effects on the local economy of the host country, and in some economic fields, TNCs can even interfere with the political order of the host country. On the other hand, in the process of globalization, transnational corporations themselves will also be affected by the international political and economic situation.

A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS

Purpose- In this study, foreign direct investments and technology transfer, which is accepted as an important dynamo of digital transformation, will be examined in a relational context and the analysis of multiple disciplines in which their relations are discussed. It is researched how public, academia and industry cooperation should be related to foreign direct investment and technology transfer. It has been investigated whether the periodic development plans prepared in Turkey and similar countries are a matter to focus on technology transfer and foreign direct investments.. Methodoloji- The methodology of the study will be made in the form of bibliometric analysis and it will be revealed in which years the studies based on both foreign direct investments and technology transfer were carried out, in which countries they were examined, and especially on which subjects they were studied. Based on bibliometric analysis, grouping clustering will be emphasized and interpreted. In order to carry out the study in the form of bibliometric analysis, it was carried out in a way to search for the presence of the desired keywords in the subject content in the journals under the umbrella of web of science. These keywords were analyzed with foreign direct investments, technology transfer, economic growth, technological and digital transformation word groups. The study was made in the form of compilation over the most cited studies on journal park and web of science. Findings- When the graphic visuals produced by bibliometric analysis based on big data through artificial intelligence are evaluated, it is seen that China is the leading country in terms of foreign direct investments. It can be stated that when China focused on foreign direct investments, it was also studied in parallel with academic studies, and the practice and the academy showed a parallelism. When the graphs given by the bibliometric analysis by countries are examined, the importance of industrial policies and the intensity of work are seen. It is stated that this situation reveals important results. Especially in this period when the influence of the information society is intense, it becomes clear how important it is to focus on the industrial society and industrial policies again.. Conclusion- It has been seen that the subject of technology transfer, as one of the areas most affected by foreign direct investments, should be evaluated in cooperation with academia and industry. It is seen that the concentration of public policies in this area is the most important issue in paving the way for foreign direct investment. In this context, it will be in the interest of the country to shape the direction of industrial policies accordingly. In this case, it is emphasized once again how important the issue of industry and technology is in the welfare of countries. In the study, it is stated that the academy, industry and public cooperation should be shaped in order to attract technology transfer and foreign direct investment as a cornerstone and to create a center of attraction. As a limitation of the study, it can be recommended to repeat the study on different fields such as scopus in new academic studies, since it was made on journal park and web of science. Keywords: Foreign direct investments, technology transfer, economic growth, technological and digital transformation, bibliometric analysis. JEL Codes: A10, B22, O17

Exploring the Relationship Among Foreign Direct Investment, Technology Transfer and Economic Growth: A Case of the Lower Northern Region in Thailand

Purpose: This article aimed to examine factors determining Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) leading to technology transfer on economic growth in Thailand and to study policies related to foreign investment promotion. Theoretical framework: The target variables were formed to set up a model specification to estimate the relationship between determinants in terms of technology transfer, FDI, and economic growth of Thailand. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research scope covered and explored the relevant dataset of each expected variable from 1995 – 2021 and some target companies enquired in 2021. The secondary data included FDI at regional level, Gross provincial products (GPP), the number of establishment enterprises in the province and others. Findings: The major factors determined FDI included the number of labour, the number of establishments, consumer price index, the value of investment and the number of internet users. These determinants had significant relationship with the GPP. Most entrepreneurs confirmed that technology transfer affected the investment decision. Research, practical & social implications: The researchers indicated that there was significant relationship among the GPP and other independent variables ;for instance, the number of labour, the number of establishments, the FDI, and the number of internet users. The government plans reflected the investment mechanism and extensively stimulated the region’s development. Originality/Value: The value of this research confirmed that technology adopted increased productivity in the production processes. The government created the investment promotion through the infrastructure and facilities which would support the area-based regional development.

SEZs and Socio-Economic Development-A Case Study of AEQUZ Belagavi

Special economic zones (SEZs) are being emphasised by an increasing number of nations as a tactical tool for fostering increased foreign direct investment (FDI), technology transfers, and job creation. Nonetheless, this programme has yielded varying results for emerging nations. The socio-economic effects of SEZs in the AEQUZ of belagavi are thoroughly examined in the current paper. The preliminary objective of this paper isto study and evaluate the contribution of SEZs in terms of imports, exports, investment, and employment the study conducted with the help of only secondary data that has been published in the concerned websites. Further the challenges faced by the SEZs over the period is nearly covered in this article, including the economic justification for them, their effects on employment, trade, foreign exchange earnings, government revenue, and social issues and human development.

МІЖНАРОДНЕ НАУКОВО-ТЕХНІЧНЕ СПІВРОБІТНИЦТВО З ЄС В СФЕРІ ЕНЕРГЕТИКИ: ПРІОРИТЕТИ Й ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ

The importance of cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union is described in the article. The priority directions of research and innovation activity of the EU countries in the field of energy are considered. The key strategic directions of the state energy policy of Ukraine are described, taking into account the country’s European integration course. The state and main problems of the development of the energy sector are analyzed. The trends of energy generation from renewable sources and possibilities of development of this sphere in Ukraine are determined. The necessity of the country’s participation in international scientific and technical cooperation in the energy sector, primarily with the EU are substantiated. Ukraine's declared pro-European orientation requires an appropriate activity strategy, which involves taking into account European standards of production and economic development. Thus, the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU opens up significant prospects for international scientific and technical cooperation of Ukrainian industrial enterprises, in particular energy enterprises, which are determined by greater involvement in innovative and technological projects of the EU, expanding access to capacious European sales markets, using Ukraine's opportunities for attraction of foreign investments and technology transfer, as well as participation in various EU development programs. At the same time, this requires not only the establishment of new priorities for the development of the energy sector, but also their achievement in the medium and long term. The process of international scientific and technical cooperation in the European Union plays a key role in the development of the economy, since the further strengthening of the EU's position on the world stage depends on the effectiveness of the involvement in the process of solving the problems of scientific and technical development of the potentials not only of the Commonwealth of Nations, but also of the entire European region. For this purpose, the European Commission has developed a plan for the creation of the "European Scientific Space", a special place in which cooperation with developing countries and countries with transition economies is given.

DYNAMICS OF UKRAINE’S EXPORT IN THE CONDITIONS OF A FULL-SCALE WAR: PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE WAYS OF THEIR ELIMINATION IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

The article is devoted to the study of the consequences of the full-scale war in Ukraine as a factor, the reduction of its key export positions, and the identification of ways to support national exporters. The article examines the dynamics and current state of Ukraine’s exports, which play an important role in its economy. The traditionally dominant raw material positions in the structure of domestic exports were noted. It shows the reduction of Ukrainian exports in all product groups with the beginning of the full-scale war, and practically cessation in some traditionally key positions (export of metals). The reasons for the reduction of the export potential due to the drop in metallurgical production, disruption of logistics, and the reduction of the export potential of the oil-fat segment of the agricultural sector, mainly concentrated in the regions where active military operations are being conducted, are indicated. Modern trends in the structure of domestic exports are analyzed, and the reasons for the changes are revealed. Changes in the export specialization of the regions of Ukraine over the last decade are shown. Exports of Ukraine in 2022 were analyzed by month, product category, countries, and regions of the world. The instruments of national exporters’ support from both the state (from foreign market analysis, educational activities and consulting, search for partners to grants from the state and donor organizations) and the EU (specific actions towards trade liberalization) are named. It was noted that the EU membership candidate status opens up significant prospects for the Ukrainian industry, related to the use of opportunities for attracting foreign investments, technology transfer, and participation in various EU development programs. The study proves that at the current stage, the foreign and regional policy of the state, and the strategy of foreign economic activity of Ukrainian business entities should be focused on restoring the export potential, strengthening the position of Ukraine in the system of the international labor division, increasing the competitiveness of the domestic enterprises’ products, expanding sales markets, improving the export structure, achieving sustainable economic growth.

An analysis of the impact of cross-border e-commerce on China's international trade and macroeconomy

In the background of the environment of economic globalization, the strengthening of China's economic strength, comprehensive national power, the development of the national economy, is the cross-border e-commerce has been widely developed, cross-border e-commerce of overseas exchanges more and more frequent. This form of trade has also facilitated people's lives to a certain extent, while bringing economic benefits to many enterprises, reducing the difficulties of enterprises and customers brought about by geography and making transactions more convenient. This form of trade also has an impact on the macroeconomic economy of the country and accounts for a large proportion of the social economy. Economic globalisation is the process by which the world's economic activities transcend national borders and form a global organic economic whole through foreign trade, capital flows, technology transfer, service provision, interdependence and interconnectedness. And in the context of economic globalisation, the world is witnessing increasingly close trade exchanges, the emergence of multinational enterprises, cross-border e-commerce and a range of economies, where companies from various countries are beginning to face the world and where companies from various countries are competing and cooperating with each other. International trade is becoming more and more popular and developed, and in this general environment, the economies of various countries around the world have been affected to some extent, and cross-border e-commerce is an adaptation to this general environment.

국내외 기술 이전 활성화를 위한 랭킹 정보 제공 기법

정보기술이 발달함에 따라 시공간의 규제를 넘어 많은 정보를 이용할 수 있게 되었지만 이를 활용하지 못하는 경우 정보의 불균형이 발생한다. 정보 불균형은 기술이전 시에도 발생하는데, 이에 따라 국내 기술 이전을 희망하는 국내/해외 사업자들의 원활한 기술 이전이 어려운 상황이다. 본 연구에서는 국내 기술 정보를 통합 및 분석하여, 기술 이전에 유용한 정보를 제공하는 방안을 제안한다. 특정 도메인의 구조에 따라 크롤링을 진행하기 때문에 다중도메인을 대상으로 크롤링을 수행하기엔 비용적으로 효율적이지 않고 구조가 복잡한 기존 동작 기반 웹 크롤러가 아닌 새로운 크롤링 기법이 필요하다. 또한 단어와 문서의 빈도를 기반으로 한 단순 요약 기법은 새로운 정보 응용과 참조가 빠른 기술 이전 시장에 적용하는 데 한계가 있기 때문에 페이지에 가중치를 부여하여 중요도에 따라 요약하는 추출적 요약 방식을 적용하고자 하였다. 본 논문에서는 다양한 도메인에서 정보를 수집하기 위한 전역적인 크롤러 기법과 수집한 정보를 기반으로 텍스트랭크(TextRank)를 이용한 요약 모델을 생성한다. 다중도메인에서 한 번에 정보를 수집하고, 수집된 페이지에 가중치를 부여해 중요도가 높은 정보를 추출함으로써 최신 기술 정보의 동향을 파악할 수 있으며, 영문의 기술이전 웹사이트의 프로토타입을 구축하여 국내외 기업의 기술 이전의 활성화를 촉진하고자 하였다. 우리는 실험을 통해 크롤링 기법과 요약 모델의 성능을 검증한다.

THE ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF DIPLOMACY ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND MARKET EXCHANGE OF COUNTRIES

The international economy is a complex system between states, which is manifested through trade and financial ties. The functioning of the international economic system between countries contributes to faster economic growth, while, on the other hand, the existence of certain obstacles between countries has a negative effect on trade exchange and on the prosperity and economic well-being of countries. That is why the influence of trade policy, as well as international finance on domestic macroeconomic goals is very important. Positioning on the world market and inclusion in international flows of goods, services and capital are prerequisites for the economic growth and development of any country. The improvement and development of foreign trade policy and its operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the effects that arise as a result of such a relationship, have confirmed the possibility of intensive inclusion of our country in the European and even the world market, which further causes interest in the development of certain economic activities. It is especially important to point out the opportunity that through the foreign trade policy can also develop smaller areas, which up to that moment did not have the opportunity to make significant investments in them. All this shows that international economic relations have exceeded the borders of traditionally affirmed countries, which were considered to have a monopoly in the export of their products. The aim of this work is to conduct research among entrepreneurs who are engaged in exporting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through a specific model to find out how much the state’s diplomacy has an impact on economic cooperation, and to what extent it helps the domestic economy in the marketing of its products. One of the conclusions of this analysis leads to the fact that the promotion and advertising aimed at the promotion of the domestic economy is not well conceived, so it is necessary to make some corrections in order to have a positive impact on the market exchange. Finally, the fourth coefficient has the greatest impact on the market exchange, which is the transfer of technologies between countries. Investments in the form of new technologies and knowledge have a positive effect on trade exchange and promote cooperation. In this way, foreign companies adapt the foreign market to their own, and achieve cooperation in the form of import/export by setting standards that correspond to their market. Therefore, it can be concluded that the hypothesis, which reads: “There is a positive influence of state diplomacy, direct foreign investments, transfer of technologies between countries, development of cooperation and promotion on the market exchange of the country”, has been proven to some extent. Namely, the results of the analysis show that only two of the four coefficients are positive, while two are negative. Two positive coefficients are direct foreign investment and technology transfer.

Foreign Technology Transfer, R&D and Innovation: Resolving the Technology–Productivity Conundrum

This study aims to empirically investigate the impact of foreign technology transfer and R&D on total factor productivity and labour productivity of Indian firms. The results of production function analysis indicate that foreign technology plays a significant role in output growth. The results of growth the accounting approach also suggest a critical role of foreign technology in the productivity growth of firms. Interestingly, our findings indicate that while R&D does not significantly contribute to productivity growth, it shares a complementary relationship with foreign technology and drives a firm’s productivity. Our findings indicate that firms that engage in R&D and foreign technology transfer have a competitive edge in terms of productivity and output, but the role of R&D intensity cannot be established.

INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND DOMESTIC WELFARE

Licensing of foreign green technologies is not free to the home country, hence causing tradeoffs in the domestic welfare. This paper constructs a two-stage game model to explore the impact of international green technology licensing on the environment and social welfare. Results show that the total amount of pollution under licensing may be larger than that under no licensing whereas the social welfare under licensing may be smaller than that under no licensing. This implies that foreign technology transfer may not be socially preferred and harmful to the domestic environment. In addition, trade liberalization may help reduce the environmental harm when the import tariff is moderate.

Legal Implications of Foreign Investment Relating to Technology Transfer in the Patent Regime

Introduction: The issue of technology transfer is a problem that is always faced by developing countries, including Indonesia. Since Indonesia has directed its economic development by focusing on the industrial sector, until the industrial sector has become the backbone of the national economy.Purposes of the Research: forms of technology transfer in investment and procedures for technology transfer in investment activities in Indonesia.Methods of the Research: the method used in this research is normative juridical to analyze the legal problems contained in the legislation releted to the problem under study with a qualitative analysis.Results of the Research: the results shown that foreign investment and technology transfer are in inseparable pair. Technology transfer or often reffered to as technology transfer includes, product, production processes and machinery. The technology transfer procedure can be transferred by employing individual foreign experts, providing supplies of machines and other equipment. Legal implication in technology transfer can occur in various forms, such as licensing agreements in technology, technology owners can facilitate technology by giving rights to each person/entity to implement technology with a license, expertise and technology assistance.

The Role of Foreign Technology Transfer in Improving Environmental Efficiency: Empirical Evidence From China’s High-Tech Industry

In recent years, China’s high-tech industry has made remarkable technological progress, but it has also brought serious environmental pollution, which has aroused great concern about its environmental efficiency. Although foreign technology transfer is considered as important ways for technological progress of the high-tech industry, the existing research on what role foreign technology transfer plays in improving the environmental efficiency of the high-tech industry is still lacking. Based on China’s interprovincial panel data from 2008 to 2017, we evaluated the environmental efficiency of the high-tech industry using the super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SBM) model with undesirable outputs. We then used the Tobit model to analyze the impact of technology introduction (TI) and foreign direct investment (FDI)—two major types of foreign technology transfer—on the environmental efficiency of the high-tech industry. The results of the super-efficiency SBM model show that the average environmental efficiency of China’s high-tech industry is only 0.4375. Except for Guangdong, Shanghai, and Beijing, most of the provinces in China have low environmental efficiency. The provinces with high environmental efficiency are in the eastern region, whereas the provinces with low environmental efficiency are concentrated in the central and western regions. Tobit regression results confirm the difference in the role of technology import and foreign direct investment in the improvement of environmental efficiency in China’s high-tech industry. Technology introduction has a significant positive impact on environmental efficiency. FDI also promotes environmental efficiency, but it is not statistically significant. These findings were confirmed by a series of robust tests. This study not only deepens our understanding of the environmental efficiency of China’s high-tech industry but also expands the theoretical research on the relationship between technology transfer and environmental efficiency.

Economic Drivers Shaping Bangladesh as a Trading State: The Relevance of Geopolitical Neutrality

The sustained economic growth of Bangladesh and its gradual integration into a globalized economy has influenced its foreign policy. The concerns are to increase merchandise exports; to ensure uninterrupted supply of raw materials, intermediate commodities, and electricity via reliable import channels; to attract much-needed Foreign Direct Investment and technology transfer to close the resource gap; and to leverage itself to become a regional hub of multimodal connectivity to reap maximum benefits from regional integration. Thus, Bangladesh behaves like a Trading State in the global arena, and it is precisely because of these economic determinants that it opts to pursue a policy of geopolitical neutrality. Bangladesh has significant economic dependence on USA, UK and EU for its exports. China and India are the leading sources of much needed import of agricultural produce, raw materials, intermediate goods and machinery. USA, UK and EU member nations are significant investors in Bangladesh. However, long-term Chinese investment commitments under the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) and generous credit facilities have caused the Chinese to acquire greater clout over the last five years or so. Competing regional integration initiatives by India and Japan pose opportunities to counter Chinese influence in Bangladesh and provide the host country with a unique opportunity to select future projects prudently. Due to Bangladesh's diverse economic engagements, it is prudent to maintain its geopolitical neutrality and avoid becoming entangled in a New Great Game.

Patents, trade secrets and international technology transfer

I study the impact of intellectual property rights on foreign direct investment and technology transfer in developing countries. I find that strengthening patent protection may stimulate foreign investment, but fails to encourage technology transfer. In contrast, strengthening trade secret protection may achieve both goals. These findings suggest that the standard approach to modeling intellectual property rights in terms of a single dimension obscures important differences in the effect of individual aspects of intellectual property law.