Indigenous Technological Capability in Developing Countries. A Preliminary Approach to Identification

There are two important issues, though closely related, which follow from technology transfers. One of these refers to the appropriateness of imported technolQgiesto the recipient countries and the other one refers to the development of indigenous technological capability. The first issue has already attracted close attention from a number of people including the present author.' So far as the issue of indigenous technological capability in less developed countries (LDCs) is concerned, a major discussion centering round the topic took place at a conference held at the Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh, in May-June 1982.2 Although a number of important areas were debated in the above conference, no attempt was made to make any measurement of ITC achievement in LDCs, the theme of the present paper.