Engineering Research Institutes, Technology Development and Economic Growth-A Case Study

This paper discusses some of the problems of local technological development and issues involved in the transfer of technology from the local R and D system to industry. It is a case study of the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) at Durgapur in West Bengal and its linkages with the engineering industry The objectives and working of CMERI since its inception are reviewed focusing on the difficulties of establishing linkages with the engineering industry especially with small engineering units in need of technological upgrada- tion. The emphasis is on some of the structural problems which lead to extremely tenuous linkages between research institutes and firms in India.