Title: Frontier technologies for emerging economies: the entrepreneur as science and technology champion

Authors: Thomas R. DeGregori

Addresses: Department of Economics, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5019, USA

Abstract: The thesis of this paper is that technology transfer has been and remains the driving force for economic development. Historically, the most effective form of technology transfer has been when it is borrowed at its highest level. This argues against a ||stages|| process of development and allows for countries to jump stages by borrowing ||frontier|| technologies. Both economic theory and ||alternative|| economic theories have put forward ideas which favoured less effective technologies, even though countries that have developed the most rapidly since World War II did so by largely by ignoring these theories. Today there are highly vocal, well organised groups opposed to the use of the most effective technologies such as biotechnology to help people raise themselves out of poverty. There is a need for entrepreneurs as ||technology|| champions to facilitate the use of frontier technologies in bioengineering, in agriculture and pharmaceuticals and emerging areas such as nano-technology.

Keywords: entrepreneurial science champions; entrepreneurial technology champions; frontier technologies; biotechnology; nanotechnology; technology transfer; NGOs; emerging economies; non-governmental organisations; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship; economic development; economic growth; developing countries; agriculture; pharmaceuticals.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2005.007003

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2005 Vol.5 No.5/6, pp.508 - 517

Published online: 02 May 2005 *

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