International Technology Transfer: A Discussion of Opportunities, Incentives, and Barriers to International Technology Transfer and the Role of the Federal Government in Its Promotion

摘要

This study is concerned with energy use in the industrial sector where traditionally high energy prices in many nations have resulted in considerable attention being paid to energy conservative industrial practices. Energy-conservative technology has gone through an early evolution and the innovative technology that has evolved in these countries has been available for transfer to others. In this study, the term ''technology'' is used to mean the application of knowledge to achieve practical results. Technology transfer as it applies to the movement and application of knowledge across national boundaries, and more specifically from foreign nations to the U.S., is dealt with. This represents a difference between this study and most others which deal with technology transfer, because the latter typically consider the case of transfer from highly developed nations to underdeveloped nations, where problems such as untrained labor forces exist. This study is primarily concerned with technology transfer among ''highly developed'' industrialized nations, and the problems and mechanisms are often different. The plastics, petroleum refining, steel and cement industries are used to provide examples of the potential for industrial energy conservation through the use of foreign technology, and to show the extent by which energy consumption has been reduced in specific cases. With these industry examples in mind, this study presents recommendations for actions which might be taken by the Federal government to encourage the transfer of energy-efficient technology from foreign industries to the U.S. context. (ERA citation 03:006912)