Technological Change in Developing Countries-A Note

The study of technological change is still in its early stages. It is clear, however, that the simple market structure- innovation paradigm is not enough. Technical knowledge is tacit, cumulative and firm-specific; hence not easily replicable or transferable. A large part of technological change activity in developing country firms can be accounted for by the need to assimilate and adapt imported technology to local conditions. Given its primacy in the industrialisation process, it is necessary to know why some firms or countries are more successful as managers of technological change than others.