Technology Transfer Policy on the Periphery

The paper reports the views of key policy makers in Industrial South Wales (ISW) who wereinterviewed in the Spring 1999 concerning SMEs and technology transfer networks. A semistructuredinterview procedure was followed involving the use of an interview handbooksupported by interview lists providing examples. The interviews were structured into sixprincipal sections. These included the external sources of inputs into the development processand the importance of external sources in the development of technological innovation withinSMEs. The nature of relationships with external sources of innovation inputs and the differentmechanisms of transferring inputs into the innovation process were also considered. Policy issuesinvolved in the transfer of technology into SMEs were investigated and the case of technologytransfer networks and SMEs in the Welsh Food Industry was discussed. From the results andanalysis of the interviews key points of significance to the policy making process in Wales arereported and recommendations made.[...]