Abstract
Technology, Innovations and Economic Development—Essays in Honour of Robert E. Evenson edited by Lakhwinder Singh, K.J. Joseph and Daniel K.N. Johnson is a compilation of nine chapters which are scholarly contributions addressing inclusive concerns of the developing economies in the context of their pursuit for techno-economic progress. Its content comprises many interesting cases as well as close examination of many issues in the domain of applied R&D which are quite relevant in today’s context from a policy perspective. The book has been divided into three sections: Innovation and Economic Development, Technological Progress and Agricultural Development and Technology Transfer, National Innovation Systems and Industrial Development.
The first section comprises three chapters, the common denominator across these chapters touches mainly the issue of inclusive and sustained economic development and highlights the need of investments for strong innovation ecosystem to foster affordable technology and efficient accessibility. Thrust on innovation can lead to improvements in quality of education that can lead to solutions customized to the local needs. Attempt, though with a limited accessible data, has been made to strengthen this proposition besides indicating a positive association between outward-looking trade policy and performance in educational standards. The requisite smooth technology transfer can happen subject to considerations for economic feasibility, transparency about value of the innovation and competencies of the stakeholders. It is suggestive of a comprehensive support for developing countries to overcome their development deficits.
This section also examines literature in detail about balancing issues around creation, utility and scale of intellectual property. The focus is mainly on patents in the context of need for sustained environment protection efforts. It explores diffusion processes, social facets, market elements and political considerations which assist and hinder dissemination. Policy instruments can influence the direction of innovation. It underlines need for a policy to encourage cost-efficient technology to ensure accessible and affordable technology. It suggests that environmental regulations help transparency and positive contributions in conditions of fixed cost for innovation being less than compliance cost. Finally, this section brings forward the argument on the lopsided consequences of capitalist development model. It examines the case of Kerala state as an example of institutional innovation to bring in social inclusion. It underlines need for more competencies and flexibility among stakeholders at all levels of the state governance.
The next theme, under the second section, is about linkages between technology progress, agricultural development and public policy instruments. Wallace Huffman brings in the dyad of public research capital and spill-in research capital in the US context. This is discussed in the context of constraints and possibilities for technology innovations in the agricultural sector. Intrastate and spill-in public agricultural research capital complement each other, whereas private research capital and public extension are substitutes. The expected pay-off from public agricultural investment, including significant interstate spillovers is large, which can adversely affect productivity if not addressed on time. Another chapter in this section by De Silva, through a longitudinal analysis, underlines the impact of market institutions on rice productivity. There is an in-depth investigation of institutional factors affecting performance in the Bicol region of Philippines. The investigation throws an important insight about the inverse association of market distance vis-à-vis productivity and efficiency in 1983, whereas the same hypothesis is not substantiated for the period 1983–2003. It concludes that population growth, infrastructure investments and extension programmes drive development of markets and connectivity of far villages with market centres.
The last theme factors technology transfer, innovation systems and industrial development. The first chapter uses the framework of global innovation network (GIN) to investigate national innovation system by examination of linkages between information and communication technology firms in India with universities and research institutions in India and abroad. It reveals higher association between academia and multinationals headquartered in India; however, the association varies across sectors and firm types. Stand-alone firms in India have lesser associations. The authors suggest policies to address the GIN issue as a global innovation trap. The second chapter highlights the dynamics between increasing globalization and industrial R&D. It touches the concepts of emerging global R&D value chain networks, competition in the flat technology-led space and expansion of R&D networks. India has been graduating, but in select sectors like ICT, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. The next chapter is an analytical anatomy of technology influences on employment growth in the Indian context. It reveals that medium high-tech companies are relatively consistent in employment generation but low technology levels are unfavourable for employment growth. It suggests policy to address technological competencies that match resource endowment, locale and stage of industrial development. In the last chapter of this section, Dinesh Abrol examines the issue of intellectual property in the context of Indian pharmaceutical industry. It pinpoints that rigorous patent protection has not helped India which is expected of such protection, such as foreign direct investment (FDI), domestic R&D investment and technology transfer. It suggests policy improvisation for India to address health needs of more than one billion population.
The compilation touches various dimensions of the triad between technology, innovation and economic growth under three broader themes. Most of the papers are contextual studies with varied levels of methodological mixes from case studies to highly rigorous econometric models. Most of the studies are in the context of developing economies covering several sectors. It is well crafted in terms of the flow of concepts. Since the book is in the honour of Robert E. Evenson, who is known for his contribution in the domain of agriculture, more cases on this sector, instead of IT and pharmaceuticals in only developing countries’ context, could have added more flavour. Overall, there are lots of interesting substantiated insights on the topics underlined and this is a genuine read for any scholar or practitioner, and particularly for policymakers who appreciate stronger innovation system as the pillar for the sustained growth of a developing economy.