Marnie M.

David
EnM 225 Seminar in Technology Development & Management

Topic 5 Technology Transfer and Innovation

Technology transfer could be so complicated at times to explore due to all the tasks
require to be able to give a full analysis of what is involve and the process that one has to go
through. Although many people have tried tracing the source of precise technology and how it
affected the originating culture and the role it has on history. However, there are some
common fundamentals that could be helpful in analyzing all the activities that are involved.
Some of the clue that has been of help so far identifying technology transfer is what is being
transferred, where technology is transferred from, those receiving transferred, and lastly how
the technology is delivered to the receiver.
One form of formal channel of technology transfer is turnkey plant. In this type of
technology transfer, the donor basically takes the responsibility production in their foreign
subsidiary by using several technical knowledge and skills transferred from the donor.
Furthermore, licensing is another form formal channel of technology transfer. It is one of the
inevitable when transferring technology from one country to the other. Still another area of
formal technology transfer is entrepreneurial science that employs the agreements all over the
world in which knowledge is transferred into intellectual property. Nevertheless, exportation of
manufactured goods is also another formal channel of transferring technology from one
country to the other such as cars, electronics etc. Another form of transfer of technology is
informal channel. Informal channel of technology transfer is usually Noncommercial Avenue. It
involves government agreement among the countries that are involves in technology transfers.
There are also scientific and technical publications that will also be carried out. Furthermore,
seminars, conferences, and trades shown are also needed for informal channel of technology
transfer.
Ideally, technology transfer is the complete, enabling disclosure of advancement in
science and technology sufficient for its unfettered use and improvement. Such use should
meet objectives which balance education and learning; and, enterprise creation or
advancement; also serving as the basis for additional creative work and advancement. The
most successful evidence of technology transfer in modern times would likely be the U.S. and
European educational institutions who have engaged citizens of the world to be trained with,
and expand upon, research endeavors in institutions of higher learning. Recently, Chinese and
Indian institutions have innovated on these model programs and are making considerable
contributions. Health, agriculture, water and food security technology transfer require a depth
of moral engagement frequently considered post facto. There is a growing awareness in these
fields, and in some conversations about environmental technologies, that the exclusionary
practices arising from exclusive licenses and restrictive intellectual property paradigms
jeopardize the health and life of the planet and its inhabitants. As a result, in the above
referenced fields, technology transfer focused on education and capacity building is far more
attainable and defensible than the attempt to perpetuate monopoly business models.
Whether the transplanted plant or product can thrive even with government subsidies is
another question, and depends, in large measure, on economic, technical, and cultural factors.
Knowledge based clusters, such as Silicon Valley, play an important role in attracting technology
transfers through firm relocation and, moreover, provide a favorable climate for such
transplants. Such clusters offer important location-specific advantages for such firms in the
form of agglomeration economies, especially in the creation and diffusion of specialized
knowledge and skills within and between companies. The issue of whether a technology, once
transferred, can flourish on foreign soil depends on whether the new environment can supply
the requisite resources for technological success, notably raw materials, scientific and technical
personnel, complementary industries and companies within the region, transportation and
power infrastructure, and appropriate and sufficiently large markets. Government policy can
play a major role in both intra and international technology transfer.