Technology Transfer In International Business

This is a book on the means by which technological knowledge is transferred from countries that develop it to those that need it, but have not yet been able to develop it on their own. The focus is on the transfer of technology from Western countries to Asian countries.

This important collection examines the means by which technological knowledge is transferred from countries that develop it to those who need it. Written by well-known authorities and derived from a conference held at the University of California and sponsored by IBEAR (International Business Education Research Program), the contributions focus on the transfer of technology from Western countries to Asian countries.

Technology transfer—the process of sharing and disseminating knowledge, skills, scientific discoveries, production methods, and other innovations among universities, government agencies, private firms, and other institutions—is one of the major challenges of societies operating in the global economy. This volume offers state-of-the-art insights on the dynamics of technology transfer, emerging from the annual meeting of the Technology Transfer Society in 2011 in Augsburg, Germany. It showcases theoretical and empirical analyses from participants across the technology transfer spectrum, representing academic, educational, policymaking, and commercial perspectives. The volume features case studies of industries and institutions in Europe, the United States, and Australasia, explored through a variety of methodological approaches, and providing unique contributions to our understanding of how and why technology transfer is shaped and affected by different institutional settings, with implications for policy and business decision making.

As a result of the rapid globalization of business the subject of international technology transfer is now of importance to both scholars and practitioners of international business. In drawing his examination from the fields of international studies, international management and international law, Min Chen provides a comprehensive consideration of the management and legal implications of international technology transfer. The text is divided into four organically linked parts which discuss comparative national policies on technology transfer, the international protection of intellectual property, international licensing and, lastly, international technology transfer via other major commercial channels. This work should be of interest to students and academics in business and technology, also to international executives and lawyers.

Study of the technological positions of developed countries and of the problem of a more equitable and efficient technology transfer to developing countries - covers USA government policy in respect of financing military applications research and industrial research and developing innovations, the role of USA-based multinational enterprises as channels of transfer and proposes the establishment of an international organization to promote technology transfer, etc. Bibliography at the end of each chapter.

Research on the international transfer of technology in economics and management literature has primarily focused on the role of countries and that of companies, in particular multinational enterprises (MNEs). Similarly, economic and business historians have tended to view international technology transfer as a way for economically ‘backward’ countries to acquire new technologies in order to catch up with more developed economies. This volume provides a more in-depth understanding of how the international transfer of technologies is organized and, in particular, challenges the core-periphery model that is still dominant in the extant literature. By looking beyond national systems of innovation, and statistics on foreign trade, patent registration and foreign direct investment, the book sheds more light on the variety of actors involved in the transfer process (including engineers, entrepreneurs, governments, public bodies, firms, etc.) and on how they make use of a broad set of national and international institutions facilitating technology transfer. Put differently, the volume offers a better understanding of the complexity of global technology flows by examining the role and actions of the different actors involved. By bringing together a number of original case studies covering many different countries over the period from the late 19th to the 21st century, the book demonstrates how technology is being transferred through complex processes, involving a variety of actors from several countries using the national and international institutional frameworks.

This book examines the international technology transfer process and the role of both multinationals and host-country governments in that process, with emphasis on the experience of the more developed countries. It explores a range of issues and presents much original thinking and research findings. It discusses in particular the strategies of the multinationals, assessing how far they are willing to accept technology transfer to external partners (as opposed to subsidiaries which they can control). It also examines how far technical transfers are successful from the viewpoint of the firm and countries involved, arguing that governments are most likely to succeed in attracting multinational transfers if they are aware of and accommodate to some degree multinationals’ preferences.

The importance of international technology diffusion (ITD) for economic development can hardly be overstated. Both the acquisition of technology and its diffusion foster productivity growth. Developing countries have long sought to use both national policies and international agreements to stimulate ITD. The 'correct' policy intervention, if any, depends critically upon the channels through which technology diffuses internationally and the quantitative effects of the various diffusion processes on efficiency and productivity growth. Neither is well understood. New technologies may be embodied in goods and transferred through imports of new varieties of differentiated products or capital goods and equipment, they may be obtained through exposure to foreign buyers or foreign investors or they may be acquired through arms-length trade in intellectual property, e.g., licensing contracts. 'Global Integration and Technology Transfer' uses cross-country and firm level panel data sets to analyze how specific activities exporting, importing, FDI, joint ventures impact on productivity performance.