Indigenous Capabilities Research Articles

Technological catch-up in the Iranian steel industry: Integrating regime-based and complex product systems approaches

Researchers in the technological catch-up field have recently directed their attention toward a regime-based approach and Complex Product Systems (CoPs) streams. Within this context, studies on each stream demonstrate how industry-specific frameworks in developing countries influence technological catch-up dynamics. This study explores these dynamics by analyzing market and technological regimes within Iran's steel industry as semi-CoPs, comprehensively. The study utilizes historical and content analyses to delineate five capability-building waves and extract themes and dimensions from documents and expert interviews conducted within the steel industry. The findings show that Iran's steel industry catch-up strategy is based on a path-following in which synthesizing overseas technology transfer with indigenous technological developments occurs. That is, firms enrich their indigenous capabilities through reverse engineering of established technologies like MIDREX, progressing to re-engineering existing technologies in iron-making. The enhancement of capabilities, coupled with the employment of opportunity windows, has paved the way for the path-creation in minor technology that has ultimately resulted in the advent of PERED technology. Finally, the findings are further compared with other domestic industries and insights are sought from international counterparts for researchers and participators.

Fine mesh pin-by-pin analysis of IPWR equilibrium core

Detailed fine mesh reactor physics simulations are warranted for reactor cores in order to estimate the important safety parameters such as detailed pin power distribution in the core and local pin peaking factors. A pin-by-pin reactor analysis code HEXPIN has been developed to perform 3D reactor core analysis with a pincell size mesh. HEXPIN uses the conventional two step calculation methodology for performing reactor calculations. India is developing a 2700 MWth/900 MWe Indian Pressurized Water Reactor (IPWR) for developing indigenous capability for commercial light water technology. It uses enriched uranium oxide fuel. The batch refueling scheme is adopted for fuel cycle management. A fine mesh pin-by-pin analysis of equilibrium core of IPWR has been performed using HEXPIN code system. The pin homogenised parametric cross section library, required for HEXPIN calculation, has been generated using lattice burn up code EXCEL. The equilibrium core calculation has been performed by a set of repeated calculations till a converged core configuration is achieved. The present paper gives the methodology and brief results of the analysis.

Technology trade controls and US–China competition

Competition for technological superiority is now a key aspect of the rivalry between China and the United States. Mastery of advanced technologies like artificial-intelligence, microelectronics and quantum-information systems will determine military and economic pre-eminence in the future. The US has imposed significant restrictions on China’s access to sophisticated technology, and it has adopted industrial policies and established multilateral frameworks to exclude China from certain technology ecosystems. Meanwhile, China aims to achieve world leadership in semiconductor-dependent technologies and plans to accelerate its development of indigenous capabilities to overcome the technology barrier raised by the US.

A Critical Framework to Develop Human-Centric Positive Energy Districts: Towards Justice, Inclusion, and Well-Being

Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are a new energy initiative from European member states. They are, simply put, local districts which produce more energy than they consume. PEDs are expected to adopt a more human-centric perspective in order to create more liveable and sustainable urban neighbourhoods. However, as previous research on energy transitions has demonstrated, the mainstream approach and technocratic tradition of research and policy vis-à-vis energy transitions could result in the perpetuation of social inequalities, energy injustices, and the passive participation of citizens also within PEDs. Hence, it is crucial in these early days of PEDs to discuss what a human-centric approach should entail and how it should be enacted. Based on a narrative literature review of critical social sciences' energy research (and specifically from social and environmental psychology), this paper will propose a critical framework containing five key dimensions which are relevant for creating more just and inclusive PEDs. These are: uncertainty, risk perception and trust; distributive justice; recognition justice and people-place relations; procedural justice; and, routines, capabilities and lived experiences. To that end, it will also discuss the different implications of mainstream and critical approaches in energy research and social sciences in relation to the deployment of human-centric PEDs. The review concludes that in order to successfully deploy human-centric PEDs, a critical approach is needed and presents some concrete recommendations for future research and policy in order to adopt such an approach. These include: considering justice, inclusion and the well-being of affected socio-ecological systems in the whole-life cycle of PEDs; better integration of indigenous capabilities; and, an ethos of de-growth and circularity in their deployment.

How successful is the Higher Institute of Energy, Kuwait, in reducing dependence on expatriates?

The role of technical and vocational education in enhancing indigenous capabilities is highly discussed by authors, observers, and academics. In fact, there is a common understanding that technical and vocational education is a dual educational system that allow students to transfer what they have been learned in classroom, laboratories and workshops into real work environment. The success of technical and vocational education would depend on the management mentality in the ability in forging and effective and fruitful linkage with industries and business. It is a management responsibility to identify and determine the level of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are mostly required by the recipients of technical and vocational graduates. Kuwait, as one of the gulf states, the shortage of indigenous skilled and semi-skilled manpower in noted in essential sectors of the economy (e.g., electricity and water and the oil sector). Decision makers have realized the significant role of technical and vocational institutions in providing essential sectors of the economy with the skilled and semi-skilled national manpower in order to reduce, to great extent, the dependence on expatriates. The Higher Institute of Energy, HIE, was forged by the Kuwaiti Government with the aim to equipped local manpower with the know-how and know-why that are applied in local industries. The research is focus on measuring the perception of a sample of heads of supervisors at the Ministry of Electricity and Water and at the oil sector towards the quality of HIE graduates. The research is based on extensive field work that encompasses a review of the related literature, interviews with a sample of heads of supervisors at the Ministry of Electricity and Water and at the oil sector to assess the quality of field training program and the standard of the HIE graduates. Finally, the research will argue that unless the HIE recognize and appreciate the value of building a strong linkage with local industries, its contribution in tackling the shortage of skilled and semi-skilled indigenous in essential sectors on the economy will be below the government expectations, thus continuing relaying on expatriates for years ahead.

How Successful is the College of Nursing, Kuwait, in Reducing Dependence on Expatriates?

Technical and vocational education is a dual system that is important for life-long learning and training and play a vital role in providing students with an opportunity for the world of work. It is completely different from formal learning and allow students to transfer what they have learned in class room into real work practice. However, technical and vocational education is experiencing a great challenge to cope with the rapid change in science and technology in industries and business. This was worsening by the social images that technical and vocational education is design for those students who come from the back gate of a university. It is highly significant to promote the role of technical and vocational education in increasing economic competitiveness and social and education inclusion. In developing countries (e.g., Kuwait, United Arab Emirates), governments have exerted efforts to enhance indigenous capabilities by forging technical and vocational education institutions. The aim is to enhance local capabilities in vital sectors (e.g., oil, electricity and water, health care), and reduce dependence on expatriates. The research paper focuses on identifying and examining the perception of students at the College of Nursing, CN, towards the quality of teaching and learning. In addition to, examining the perception of the CN graduate’s heads of nurses at the health sector towards the standard of the field training program, and the quality CN graduates. The research is based on extensive field work that encompasses a review of the related literature, questionnaires, and interviews with a sample of heads of departments at the CN. Interviews were also conducted with the heads of nurses in four major hospitals in four districts at the health sector. Finally, the research will argue that unless the CN recognize and appreciate the value of building a strong linkage with the health sector, its contribution in tackling the shortage of skilled and semi-skilled indigenous health care specialist will be below the government expectations, thus continuing relaying on expatriates for years ahead.

Manufacturing, assembling and plasma cleaning of new SANAEM RFQ

A new 1.2 m radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator cavity, made of oxygen-free copper (OFC) and capable of accelerating protons up to 1.3 MeV energy, is recently manufactured for the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEA), based on the motivation of establishing a proton beamline with indigenous capabilities. In the present article, the manufacturing and assembling procedures related to the new RFQ copper vanes, especially the novelties applied to a vane type RFQ accelerator cavity, namely plasma cleaning of vane surfaces and utilization of indium wire in vacuum sealing, will be described. The preliminary results, the vacuum level and quality factor, suggest that these applications indicate promising options for future accelerator cavity production.

The voluntary underdevelopment paradox: revisiting Freeman’s ideas on indigenous capabilities for innovation in the global south

ABSTRACT There is a growing recognition of the university as an actor with the capacity to articulate and respond to societal needs and demands expressed outside conventional market structures. Universities in the global south offer converging spaces where knowledge stemming from different groups in society is carefully weaved with that produced in the global north to produce innovations that cater to the needs of excluded populations. However, the trends that seemed to have enabled the development of indigenous capabilities in global south universities, coupled with a worrying disconnection between such capabilities and the real world of production, may be encumbering the upwelling of socially inclusive narratives and practices around innovation, limiting thus their full transformative potential. In this essay, we draw upon Freeman’s ground-breaking idea of voluntary underdevelopment and bridge it with that of (un)satisfactory innovations and social demands for innovation to explain this paradox and propose a way forward.

Transition to Renewable Energy and Indigenous People in Northern Australia: Enhancing or Inhibiting Capabilities?

ABSTRACT This paper uses the capability approach to analyse renewable energy developments on Aboriginal land in Australia’s Pilbara and Kimberley regions. These regions in the north-west of Australia have very high rates of Indigenous land tenure, and are attractive for both solar and wind power generation, particularly as developing technology makes it economically feasible to transport power over large distances. They are also remote from Australia’s electricity networks and often rely on expensive fossil fuels for electricity generation. Resident Aboriginal communities are among the most income-poor in Australia yet live in regions rich in renewable energy. Their ability to benefit from the opportunities offered by a transition to renewable sources of energy varies according to a number of factors. This paper examines the conditions under which Indigenous capabilities may be enhanced or inhibited, through examining three scales of energy generation: large-scale developments for export; remote utility-owned networks; and small-scale standalone off-grid applications. This paper will ask what capabilities can Indigenous people achieve from a just approach to a renewable energy transition in northern Australia, and what capabilities are required in order to gain maximum benefit from this current rapid energy transition?

The US–Ireland–India in the catch-up cycles in IT services: MNCs, indigenous capabilities and the roles of macroeconomic variables

This study attempts to explain successive changes in industrial leadership in IT services by employing the catch-up cycle theory developed by Lee and Malerba (Res Policy 46(2):338–351, 2017). A catch-up cycle was observed in which leadership have changed from the US to Ireland and subsequently to India. Currently, there is now a `coexistent leadership` in which both India and Ireland share the leadership position since Ireland has recently recovered some of its market shares. The research has two main contributions: First, it has introduced macroeconomic variables into the catch-up cycle framework and exposed that the over-reliance of Ireland on MNCs made their leadership less sustainable and more sensitive to macroeconomic variations, and thus, argued that wage rate, exchange rate and FDI were important explanatory variables to understand the rise, fall and re-rise of Irish IT service exports. Second, it is shown that India has been more effective in maintaining a leadership position by developing strong indigenous companies, a sectoral system of innovation and through better technological capabilities. Therefore, it brings an important contribution in terms of public policies and catch-up strategies.

South Korea's Space Program: Activities and Ambitions

South Korea's Space Program:Activities and Ambitions Hyoung Joon An (bio) Among spacefaring nations, the Republic of Korea (ROK) is a relatively young player. Despite establishing some infrastructure necessary for space-related activity in the 30 years after the launch of Sputnik, the country truly committed to such activity only in the 1990s. Since then, South Korea's space program has developed rapidly to become a significant presence. In 1992 the launch of KITsat-1 (Korean Institute of Technology Satellite), the first ROK satellite, marked the program's first major achievement, after which the country built up its technological capabilities for space exploration relatively quickly. It has launched 37 satellites into orbit to date and in 2013 developed its first space launch vehicle, the KSLV-1 (also called Naro-1).1 At present, South Korea aims to launch the first wholly Korean-made launch rocket, the KSLV-2 (also called Nuri), by 2021, which will later be used to launch a lunar orbiter and lander as well. This essay examines how South Korea's national framework for space development and scientific and technological activities in the space sector have evolved in recent decades. To understand the country's space-oriented ambitions, the essay reviews the ROK's "Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Space Development, 2018–2022," which marks the nation's latest comprehensive space policy and includes space launch vehicles, satellites, the Korea Lunar Exploration Program, and the Korean Positioning System (KPS). Historical Background and Institutional Framework The vision of developing space for economic security has provided a strong boost to various ROK space projects since the 1980s. Although the country did not have an adequate infrastructure network for such development, in the 1970s it began outlining a new economic rationale for entering the field of space technology based on developing high-tech [End Page 34] infrastructure and skilled workers trained in the nation's growing defense industry. Because the majority of the country's industries utilized low-cost labor and only became competitive in world markets in the 1980s, the government emphasized space development as a way to reinforce the country's economic security.2 Space development was expected to afford South Korea the opportunity to catch up with advanced industrial nations and withstand fierce international competition in new technologies. In 1985 the government announced the "Long-Term Plan for the Development of Science and Technology toward the 2000s," which emphasized space development as a way to reinforce industrial competitiveness. Furthermore, in 1987 it passed the Aerospace Industry Development and Promotion Act, which provided the first significant funding for a national space program. Both strategies focused on developing satellites and sounding rockets for space launch vehicles expected to follow.3 With the establishment of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) in 1989—which would become the principal actor in South Korea's civilian space program—SaTReC (Satellite Research Center) at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Korea Telecom emerged as central actors. Although initially relying on technology imported from other countries, South Korea aspired to attain indigenous capabilities for space development. In 1996 the government announced the "First Basic Plan on Mid-to-Long-Term National Space Development." The chief objectives were to join the top ten countries in the space industry and, by 2010, to launch the KSLV-1 from a local launch site with an independently developed satellite. This plan was ultimately replaced by the "Basic Plan for the Promotion of Space Development" in 2007. In addition, the government passed the Space Development Promotion Act in 2005, which stipulates that it must draft a basic plan every five years to address emerging objectives and strategies for national space development. Announced in February 2018, the current "Third Basic Plan for 2018–2022" set the ultimate objective of "improving public safety and quality of life by implementing challenging but reliable space development." To achieve that objective, it identifies four strategies: harmonizing challenges and practicalities, selecting and focusing on strategic sectors, creating new [End Page 35] industries and jobs, and sharing the public vision (Figure 1). These four strategies are accompanied by four goals. First, to establish an indigenous space launch vehicle, South Korea...

The Politics and Economics of the US-China Trade War

The US declared trade war after substantial defections from the internationalist (in geo-strategy and economics) lobby in US politics to a new coalition between conflict-is-inevitable proponents and anti-globalization activists. Many internationalist businesses changed sides after experiencing disappointments on economic fronts including China's non-compliance with some of its WTO obligations; China's acquisition of foreign technology at lower-than-expected prices; and the serious inadequacies in the WTO's governance of global trade. Many of the disillusioned internationalists have given too much weight to the contribution of globalization to negative developments in the US labor market, and too little weight to the role of powerful capital-biased technological changes and to the inadequacies of state-provided programs for social insurance and human capital formation. Resolution of the trade war and prevention of its frequent occurrence will become more likely when (a) China adopts much greater reciprocity in its economic engagement with the advanced countries despite its status as a developing country under WTO rules; and (b) US stops equating geostrategic competition with economic competition; recognizes that economic dynamism and economic resilience comes from strengthening indigenous innovation capability rather than from holding China back technologically; and institutes social programs to significantly reduce the trauma that is created by frequent job changes. Deep reform of WTO is urgently needed but is unlikely to happen in the medium run. For the medium-run, the US should mobilize country cooperation in regional settings (like the TPP) to introduce policy innovations to serve as templates for a re-designed WTO architecture, and to harness collective market power to be used in future negotiations on WTO reform.

Relating Vertical Specialization to Indigenous Technological Capability Growth: The Case of China

It remains a challenge to empirically verify whether the large scale of exports are results of China’s export-oriented growth strategy and participation in global vertical specialization (VS) and has this transformed its indigenous technological capability. In the current literature of export performance study, however, there is a methodological gap in quantifying the domestic contents of exports from total exports. Therefore, the domestic technological change cannot be clearly identified and analyzed. This article bridged the gap by employing a unique Input-Output model to derive the domestic contents from total exports and to analyze the nature of related technological change. Our data analysis of China’s exports of manufacturing products for 1992–2009 reveal: (1) China’s participation in the global vertical specialization in high-tech sector grew accelerated chronically; (2) the VS participation was more aggressive in high-tech than in the medium-tech, low-tech and resources-based sectors; and (3) the net domestic contents in China’s exports in high-tech sectors grew much faster than the other sectors. The findings indicate that China’s export-oriented growth strategy, instead of creating dependence on low-tech and resource-based exports, had led to a rapid growth in sophisticated high-tech manufacturing with its indigenous capability.

Abstract 412: Wnt / β-catenin Inhibitor Differentiates Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Myogenic Lineage in vitro and Improved Cardiac Function in vivo in Rat Model of Myocardial Infarction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. At present, available therapeutic options for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases are limited and provide solution only to reduce the symptoms of CVD. The indigenous capability of cardiac tissue to meet the degeneration is limited. The feasible option is stem cells based regenerative medicine to repair or regenerate the myocardial cells and restore normal cardiac function. The aim of the present study is to assess the potential of small molecules for the differentiation of MSCs into cardiomyocytes. In this study, MSCs were cultured in vitro and were characterized by immunochemistry, and flow cytometry for the presence of MSCs markers, CD90, CD73, CD44, CD29, and for tri-lineage differentiation. MSCs were treated with wiki-4 for 14 days to induce cardiac differentiation, and were characterized for the presence cardiac markers by gene and protein expression for GATA-4, α-actinin, cTnT, cTnI, and myosin heavy chain, and found positive for these markers. These induced cardiac progenitor cells were transplanted into the infarcted myocardium of rats, where they exhibited increased persistence, engraftment, and homing in the infarcted region, and expressed cardiac markers within the border zone. Transplanted group improved left ventricular wall thickness at 4 weeks post injury, and reduced infarct size. Functional performance of the hearts was analyzed through M-mode echocardiography, which results in significant (p<0.05) improvement in the heart function including left ventricular internal diameter systolic and diastolic, ejection fraction, fractional shortening, end systolic volume and diastolic volume, and stroke volume compared to control. Histological examination of the heart sections 4 weeks post MI showed that MSCs home towards the site of injury. The transplanted cells expressed cardiac markers and contributed to the cardiac tissue recovery. The results of the present study demonstrate that myocytes derived of MSCs enhance the regeneration potential of the infarcted myocardium.

Repurposing government expenditure for enhancing Indigenous well-being in Australia: A scenario analysis for a new paradigm

In Australia, despite concerted government efforts over the last 30 years, Indigenous peoples’ statistically measured well-being continues to be lower than that of non-Indigenous Australians with few exceptions (child mortality and early childhood education). This is for various reasons including the ongoing impacts of dispossession, inappropriate policies, restricted opportunities, and ignorance of Indigenous perspectives. This paper analyses key recent government development policies and related costs and benefits. It then proposes a capability-focused well-being approach considering country (Indigenous estate) as a pivot. Country offers a culturally appropriate enabling environment for participation in economic activities and learning through ceremonies and rituals. This allows Indigenous people to utilize their knowledges and skills in securing their well-being. We apply three scenarios as a tool to analyse current government expenditure on four program areas, namely: a safe and supportive environment; economic participation; healthy lives; and early childhood development. We argue that by utilizing imputed natural resource management revenues, estimated cost-savings of $4–18bn.pa can be achieved if official policies focus on an integrated approach of well-being through building and utilizing Indigenous capabilities. To demonstrate the real benefits and costs of the proposed approach, the Northern Territory is used as a case study. Our estimates suggest an estimated annual value of cost-savings at $127m-$471m. This amount could be invested towards country-related programs in remote communities to introduce and promote innovative enterprises in ecosystems services by managing natural resources – a growing market across the globe – that will enhance the well-being of local Indigenous communities and the management of natural resources for the wider Australian and global public.

Structural Constraints, Indigenous Capability and the Political Economy of Late Industrialization in the Steel Sector

Structural Constraints, Indigenous Capability and the Political Economy of Late Industrialization in the Steel Sector

The Commercialization of University and Research Institutes’ Science-Based Innovations: The Four Successful Chinese Cases

Science empowers as a nation’s toughest weapon in the future global competition and cooperation. A large number of countries listed in-house R&D for science-based innovations as their core development strategy in the next decade. This paper conducts multi-case analysis on four science-based innovations in China as a reference for how a new science-based venture superseded in global market and developed indigenous capability to generate much business value as well as scientific value. The four cases detailed are container inspection system, hot redundant JX-100 DCS, high-performance Dawning supercomputers and Chinese-character laser phototypesetting system. We concluded that the successful commercialization of a nationwide and grand scientific project requires the following: (1) visionary scientists’ solid authority, direct participation, business acumen and a strong sense of patriotism, without intermediaries, are the core for successful science-based innovation and commercialization during knowledge transformation; and (2) the powerful and direct support from the policymakers. Forms of support may vary from financial incentives, policy enforcement and endorsement. The consequences for the success of science-based innovations are the creation of highly-skilled manpower, new market as well as shifting away from low-cost strategy to innovative strategy.

A Cultural Approach to African Management Philosophy

Despite acknowledging the existence of indigenous management capabilities and skills in Africa, management practice in precolonial African societies was seen by the colonizers as primitive management. Africans have ways of exercising power and authority at the workplace, ways of motivating and rewarding people to make them work harder. Neither the institutions nor the political structures put in place by the colonizers acknowledge these indigenous knowledge structures, but much of them have survived in the traditions and cultural values of the African people. However, unlike in Europe and most parts of Asia, the attempted modernization or Westernization after independence has completely neglected the indigenous sociocultural knowledge and tried to transplant western management theories and models to traditional African societies. This article draws attention to the relevance of cultures to management philosophy with the purpose of contributing to a culturally appropriate practice of management in Africa. It has been shown that the different management theories in the form that they have been developed in the West reflect western philosophical thoughts which may not fit culturally in Africa management practice. However, in developing theories and building models of management theories in Africa, it is unlikely to pay Africans to throw away all that the West has to offer. Rather, the approach to appropriate management theorizing is to reflect on assumptions of Western management theories, compare Western assumptions about sociocultural values with African cultural values to rebuild the theories and models. The use of anthropological and philosophical concepts in this context will help in the development of appropriate management practice.

The Engineering Education in China, Compared to Pakistan, Europe, and the USA, in Prospects of One Belt, One Road

Engineering representing the backbone of a nation aims to migrate towards the knowledge economy. The strengthening of engineering education leads to the nation’s self-reliance while building indigenous capabilities. The current study attempts to compare engineering education in China with Pakistan, Europe, and the USA in context of One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. The comparison provided by this study will help to identify some of the trends and challenges in engineering education at the national and regional level of OBOR countries. The study suggests that OBOR strategy will allow China to build excellence in engineering education and export its expertiseamong the member countries during developing stage.

Scientometric research assessment in the developing world: A tribute to Michael J. Moravcsik from the perspective of the twenty-first century

Proceeding from Moravcsik's paradigmatic ideas of how to build indigenous capability and sustainable science systems in developing countries, we attempted to further focus on the peculiarities of the twenty-first century and the new challenges of globalisation. In doing so, we selected three particular topics deemed relevant in this context: increase of international visibility and reception by the international community, international collaboration and the participation in research in emerging fields. We analysed these issues using the example of 16 developing countries and emerging economies. We found that several countries achieve an impressive citation impact with a considerable share of highly cited papers. The high impact proved to be associated with international collaboration. We also found two extreme situations in international collaboration, both of which might form challenges in building sustainable national science systems and research structures. Research activity in emerging research topics, finally, showed the presence of developing countries in highly topical research and their capability to contribute also to newest research trends.