Title: The importance of technology management for economic development in Africa

Authors: Jean-Jacques Salomon

Addresses: Director, Centre Science, Technologie et Societe, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers, 2 Rue Conte, 75141 Paris Cedex 03, France

Abstract: The new ethical system emerging around us implies inescapable issues and choices for most of the developing countries, especially in Africa. With regard to technologies, which should be developed or modified for local use, rather than imported? With regard to basic research, how much is really needed for harnessing science and technology to development so as to avoid the pitfalls of trivialisation of research on he one hand, and irrelevance on the other? The function of technology assessment is all the more indispensable in order to match scientific and technical effort to the specific circumstances of each country, and to shape is overall development. The lack of sensitivity shown in most African countries to scientific and technological resources, and technology management and its educational requirements, is ultimately self-defeating.

Keywords: science and technology policy; development policy; social assessment technology; education; research; Third World counties; Africa; developing countries; technology management; economic development; technology assessment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1990.025860

International Journal of Technology Management, 1990 Vol.5 No.5, pp.523 - 536

Published online: 25 May 2009 *

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