National strategies for technology adoption in the industrial sector: Lessons of recent experience in the developing regions

The concept paper for HDR 2001 starts thus: “New technologies – especially biotechnology and information/communication technology – are the driving forces of competition between nations and people in the global knowledge economy of the 21 century. Access to and a share in the financial returns from technology will be an important determinant of whether an individual or a country is a winner or a loser in the global economy.” It goes on to say “Acquisition of industrial technology has been an underlying factor in diversification, export growth and economic growth of Asian countries – what are the options for poor countries to adopt technological innovations to improve productivity and incomes in the context of a global competitive economy?”