Technological leapfrogging: Implications for developing countries

Technology comes with mixed blessings. It considerably enhances human muscular and mental capabilities, and conditions our living surroundings to make it more and more comfortable. However, often inadvertently, its application is also degrading the geophysical environment, disrupting the ecological balance, and disturbing the evolutionary nature of the social change processes. Furthermore, abuse or careless use of technology is threatening total annihilation of human life on earth. And yet, there is cause for hope. To improve the quality of life of the teeming population of the underdeveloped world, to undo the negative impacts of the past and present technological activities of the industrialized world, and also to provide a deterrent to self-destruction or irresponsible acts of carelessness-we need technology now more than before. In other words, we need technology for sustainable development. There is no unique path to development. Experiences gained by the early developers and the newly industrialized countries, show that neither the size of the population nor the natural resources endowment can guarantee a country’s economic success or failure. However, experience also shows that technology seems to matter more. Based on this recent realization, the productive and efficient utilization of technology is considered as central to the economic development process of the present world, both developed and developing. It is now well accepted that technology plays a decisive role in every sector of national development-be it food production, education, energy, or communication and transportation.