Critically assess the role of technology transfer

■ Review the historiographical debate about technology transfer in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries

■ Assess how technological advance and market power affect technology transfer

■ Assess the impact of the international patent system on inter-firm co-operation and on technology transfer

■ Offer an opportunity of developing broader analytical and inter-disciplinary skills through the use and interpretation of statistical data sets and other primary material

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Critically assess the role of technology transfer in the international spread of industry

■ Broadly evaluate how market structure affects the costs and successful adoption of borrowed technology

■ Critically assess how the international patent system may influence the transfer and adoption of technology

■ Critically evaluate primary material, notably statistical data sets and official publications