Technology and Innovation in the International Economy

Technology and Innovation in the International Economy
Author: Charles Cooper
Publisher: United Nations University Press
Total Pages: 266
Release: 1994
Genre: Technological innovations
ISBN: 9781858980270

The two major review essays - Jeffrey James on microelectronic technology and Martin Fransman on biotechnology - assess the impact of these new technologies on production, trade, employment and welfare in developing countries.

Strengthening Technological Capabilities

Strengthening Technological Capabilities
Author: International Labour Office
Publisher: International Labour Organization
Total Pages: 130
Release: 1992
Genre: Appropriate technology
ISBN: 9789221081654

This book offers a review of ILO activities on technology reveals the challenges of endogenous capacity building in developing countries. The book covers a range of areas including technology policy assessment, evaluation of the impact of new technologies on employment, working conditions and working environment.

Hi-Tech for Industrial Development

Hi-Tech for Industrial Development
Author: Jose E. Cassiolato
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2002-01-31
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1134909691

Based on original research, this book focuses on the importance of the producer-user connection, the changing balance between national and foreign firms and the need for learning in industry and government.

Globalization, Information Technology and Development

Globalization, Information Technology and Development
Author: J. James
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 173
Release: 1999-02-24
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0230377432

Jeffrey James develops the insights of the often separate literatures on globalization and information technology and demonstrates their interdependence. The central insight is that globalization is mainly a technological phenomenon, driven by influences exerted on international trade and foreign investment by various forms of information technology. Developing countries, however, are not sharing equally in the gains from globalization thus induced by the new technologies. These gains tend to be concentrated among a narrow group of relatively advanced countries and, moreover within some of those countries information technology appears to exacerbate existing income inequalities.

International Competitiveness in Latin America and East Asia

International Competitiveness in Latin America and East Asia
Author: Klaus Esser
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 114
Release: 2012-10-12
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1136297820

First published in 1993. Latin America is undergoing a process of profound economic and social change. The industrial import substitution that continued for several decades was quantitatively successful in terms of industrialization but - like inward-oriented industrialization in the socialist countries - failed to raise the economies of the region to international productivity levels. The attempt at catch-up industrialization outside the reference frame of the world market led to economic stagnation, social crises, serious environmental degradation and the obstruction of social development. The following papers included in this book, show that the development of competitive advantages is initially determined by the new macro policy and by modernization at enterprise level.

Flexible Automation in Developing Countries

Flexible Automation in Developing Countries
Author: Ludovico Alcorta
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 486
Release: 2003-09-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1134653565

This book examines the extent of, and motives for, the diffusion of flexible automation (FA) at global level and then turns to the local and firm level, bringing together in-depth studies of sixty-two firms in Brazil, India, Mexico, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela. Research focuses on the impact of computer-numerically-controlled machine tools on scale and scope by exploring changes in lot sizes and product variety (product scale and scope), total plant output (plant scale) and total firm output (firm scale). Barriers to setting up FA-based operations are discussed, as are factors which may affect a decision to locate in a developing country. The contributed studies reveal a relatively slow diffusion of FA in developing countries and it is demonstrated that while FA possibly increases scope, it also requires that plant output be increased in order to maintain efficiency. Alcorta concludes that the location in developing countries will probably only be viable for large domestic firms, multinationals seeking to relocate simple but labour intensive assembly processes and firms in countries with significant domestic markets. This work is unique in addressing the scale and scope issues in developing countries and in the wealth of information regarding machine tools which it provides. The data provided in the appendix includes official United Nations data, previously unpublished. This will be of use for all research into trends in the use of machine tools.