Transfer of technology

• Transfer of technology is the processes of moving

technology physically or mentally from one place to
another.
• Transfer of technology is mostly done due to the fact that
there is uneven global distribution of technology, which
is a common feature of the North-South relations.
• The South needs such technology in order to boost their
economy and other social services, which are much
needed in the process of boosting life/development.
 WAYS OF TRANSFERING TECHNOLOGY

• Imitation and industrial espionage: By simply

copying from creators or any people who
perform different tasks such as operation of
machines, making machines and many others
is referred as imitation.
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• Importing expertise and foreign investor who
come with their foreign technology: In order
to import knew technology, countries provide
a room for private investors to come and
invest.
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• Training people abroad: This is also referred
as brain drainage.
• Different countries have been sending workers
abroad for the aim of increasing efficiency in
work places by applying what they learnt.
• They imitate several scientific knowledge and
skills, which they carry back to their nations.
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• Licensing of technology and agreement: This
allows experts to employ technology acquired
from abroad.
• Turn-key operations: The buyer enters into
contract with a supplier say to build and
construct or undertake a task that involves
little participation of local institutions e.g.
KAJIMA.
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• Privatization policy: Privatization means the
process of putting public enterprises or public
sectors into the hands of a private individual.
• Privatization can be done by selling the whole
sector or by partnership.
 Positive consequences
a)It promotes the indigenous technological base and
technical capacity. This is due to the process of
imitating the knowledge and then practicing it.
b)It increases both industrial and agricultural
products. The use of machines and better tools of
production introduced by investors that are later on
used by indigenous people. These increase the
production in both agriculture and industry because of
the use of more technologically advanced tools in
production.
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c)It improves the provision of social and transport
services. Transfer of technology has helped different social
services such as education, health services such as medical
services to be provided e.g. use of devices such as X-ray
machines, computer and others, which are used in the
teaching media in classrooms, hence facilitating the
teaching-learning process.
d)It contributes much to the extraction of power such as
solar energy instead of hydro-electric power and the use of
bio-gas for cooking instead of using firewood for cooking.
 Negative consequences

a)It leads to technical dependence: Technical dependence

means the process of being dependant on another person or
country in terms of technical services and personnel.
• This problem has been serious to the third world countries.
• They have been dependent to the developed countries for
technical assistance. Others do not want to struggle in
order to boost their technology, which is appropriate.
• Instead they have created a notion of depending on the
developed countries.
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b)It affects the indigenous culture: Indigenous culture is
the system of life of particular people. In Africa, it has
been said that foreign culture has been imparted. For
example T.V, video, and internet have contributed much
to the destruction of indigenous culture.
c)It leads to environmental degradation: This is seen in
heavy industries, which produce toxic gases such as SO2
and Carbon (C) to the atmosphere where they destroy
the ozone layer and cause global warming.
• .
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d)It can cause sight problems: The scientists have
been reporting that people who always spend
much time watching T.V, computers etc are likely
to have sight problems after a certain period.
e)It leads to unemployment: Since transfer of
technology involves the method of privatization
of public sectors. Machines replace work done
by man, hence retrenchment occurs