Technology, Growth, and Development: An Induced Innovation Perspective / Edition 1

by Vernon W. Ruttan

Overview

Technology, Growth, and Development uniquely presents the complexities of technical and institutional change on the foundation of modern growth theory. The author shows how the rates and directions of technical change are induced by changes in competitive funding and institutional innovations in the modern research university and industrial laboratory. In turn, technical change itself becomes a powerful source of institutional change. Organized by the author in four parts, the first-Productivity and Economic Growth-gives specific reasons for the slowing of productivity growth in the United States and other leading industrial countries during the last quarter of the twentieth century. In Part II-Sources of Technical Change-the author examines a host of economic factors that influence invention and innovation; the rate and direction of institutional change; and the adoption, diffusion, and transfer of technology. In Part III-Technical Innovation and Industrial Change-he traces the sources and impact of technical change in five strategically important industries: agriculture, electric power, chemical, computer, and biotechnology. The final section, Part IV-Technology Policy-evaluates the role of technical change in international competition, the role of science and technology in environmental policy, and the evolution of U.S. science and technology policy. Technology, Growth, and Development makes few mathematical demands on students, and will be used in courses within economics departments as well as management and public affairs. In addition, it will be required reading for professional economists, managers, and policy analysts at all levels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195118711
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/14/2000
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	672
Product dimensions:	9.54(w) x 6.46(h) x 1.45(d)

About the Author

University of Minnesota (Emeritus)

Table of Contents

Part I: Productivity and Economic Growth1. Is Economic Growth Sustainable? Doomsters and BoomstersThe Dismal SceneLimits to GrowthProductivity GrowthThe Book PlanReferencesFiguresTable2. Catching Up and Falling BehindThe Convergence ControversyGrowth EconomicsAccounting for Economic GrowthFalling BehindPerspectiveReferencesBoxesTablesFiguresAppendix 2Technical Change and Productivity Growth: The Simple AnalyticsFiguresPart II: The Sources of Technical Change3. The Process of Invention and InnovationThe Process of Invention and InventionCumulative Synthesis: Three CasesLinkages Between Science and TechnologyThe Research InstitutionLearning by Doing and UsingPerspectiveReferencesBoxFigures4. Technical and Institutional InnovationSources of Technical ChangeSources of Institutional InnovationA Pattern Model of Induced InnovationReferencesBoxesTablesFigures5. Technology Adaption, Diffusion, and TransferConvergence of TraditionsThe Diffusion of Agricultural TechnologyDiffusion of Industrial TechnologyNew Theory and New MethodThe Product Cycle and International TradeEndogenous Growth and Technology TransferThe Costs of Technology TransferResistance to TechnologyPerspectiveReferencesTableFiguresPart III: Technical Innovation and Industrial Change6. Technical Change and Agricultural DevelopmentModels of Agricultural DevelopmentInduced Technical Change in AgricultureScientific and Technical ConstraintsResource and Environmental ConstraintsAgricultural Research SystemsLessons From ExperienceReferencesBoxTablesFigures7. Light, Power, and EnergyThe Battle of the SystemsThe Transformation of Industrial Energy UseThe Great Oil ShockThe Exhaustion of ScaleInstitutional InnovationWhat Happened to Alternative Policy? Perspectives References Box Tables Figures8. The Chemical IndustryInventors, Inventions and Technical ChangeChemical Engineering and the Petrochemical RevolutionInternational DiffusionMaturityPerspectiveReferencesBoxTablesFigures9. The Computer and Semi-conductor IndustriesFrom Calcuators to ComputersIBM Sets the Mainframe StandardThe Transistor ResolutionMicrocomputers and MinicomputersThe Software IndustryInternational DiffusionIndustrial PolicyComputers and Economic GrowthComputers and SocietyReferencesBoxesFiguresTables10. The Biotechnology IndustriesFrom Biological Technology to BiotechnologyMolecular Biology and BiotechnologyThe University-Industrial ComplexInstitutional InnovationCommercial BiotechnologyMarket StructureIndustrial Policy and International CompetitionBiotechnology and The Food IndustriesBiotechnology in the Twenty-First CenturyReferencesBoxesTablesFiguresPart IV: Technology Policy11. Technical Change in Three SystemsAmerican Systems of Technical InnovationThe Japanese SystemGerman Systems of Technical InnovationSystems of Technical InnovationTechnology, Trade, and CompetitivenessPerspectiveReferencesBoxTablesFigures12. Technology, Resources, and EnvironmentThree Waves of ConcernResource EconomicsEnvironmental EconomicsEcological EconomicsEnvironmental Impacts of ProductionEnvironmental Impacts of ConsumptionEmission TradingGlobal Climate ChangePerspectiveReferencesBoxesTablesFigurs13. Science and Technology PolicyPrinciples of Science and Technology PolicyThe Patent SystemMilitary ProcurementPolitics of Science and Technology PolicyExperience with Public InvestmentPerspectiveReferencesBoxesFiguresTables14. The Transition to Sustainable DevelopmentWhat Have We Learned? The Sustainability CritiqueModeling the FutureSustainability TransitionsIntellectual ChangesPerspectiveReferencesFigure