Technology Transfer

Technology Transfer: It is acquisition and use of knowledge. Basically there are two ways of acquiring new technology.

Develop it or purchase.
Technology Transfer
The important reasons for purchasing technology.
It involves little or no R &D investment.
Technology can be used quickly.
Technical and financial risks are quite low.
Good reasons for selling technology.
Increasing return on R&D investment.
Technology may not have immediate use.
Technologies have been utilized up to its limit.
Therefore technology transfer occurs because if existence of buyers and sellers. The sellers are called transfers or licensors and buyers are called transferees or licensees in technology transfer process.
There is no transfer of technology unless and until the technology knowledge is put to use.
The factor in technology transfer include
· Transplantation of technology
· A sense of opportunism
· Nature of transferred technology how it is transferred is critical to success of technology transfer process.
Models of Technology Transfer:

Research Development

Key entities

Diffusion Adaption

(R&D Diffusion Model)


Need Felt

Application of solution Articulated as
Problem


Choice of Solution Search for solutions

Problem solver Model



Technology Transfer Model:

Adaption

Development Communication Utilization


Technical Transfer Modes:

Technology Base User / Needs Public sectors

Engineering Technology Traffic safety
Communication Transfer Emergency Health
Medicine Modes Crime Prevention
Electronics Public Transport
Energy Preserving Water
(Passive/ Energy conserve
Active/Semi active) Urban constrn

Private Sectors
Structures Industries
Chemicals Agricultural
Materials Mining
Computer



Passive Mode: For the technology is transferred through published literature, manuals, such as television repair manuals and how to guide for home repairs.

TECHNOLOGY BASE TECHNICAL INFORMATION USER

*PRIMARY
INNOVATOR
* PUBLICATIONS FOR APPLN OF
TECHNOLOGY
* COMPUTERISED
DATABASES
* PERSONAL CONTACTS




Semi-active mode: Here the role of technology transfer agents is limited, the agent act as a interpreter or communicator no active participation in the application of technology.


TECH BASE TECH INFORMN TECH TRAN AGENT USER

Active mode: The transferring process is carried out to demonstrate by the transfer agent or the consultant. Agent fully involved and acts as a bridge in technology transfer from enterprise.


TECH BASE TECH INFORMN CHAMPION AND TEAM USER


Horizontal transfer: It implies transfer of technology from one firm to another. Such transfers take place generally between the firms located in different countries, mainly due to reasons of competition and maturity of technologies.

Vertical transfer: It means transfer of technology from an R&D organization to a firm. Such transfers are mostly within the country and technologies are new, and may often require further efforts in terms of establishing commercial viability. Such a transfer involves considerable risk.

DIMENSIONS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER:
· What is actually transferred
· The mode of transfer
· The absorption capabilities of the recipient enterprise.
· The capabilities and motivation of the supplier enterprise and
· The technology gap between the supplier and the recipient.


FEATURES OF TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE:
The technology package consists of three principal elements namely, product design, production technique and management system. The three principal categories of technical information or know-how inherent in technological systems are general knowledge, system specific and firm-specific knowledge.



1) General Knowledge refers to information common to industry such as blueprint reading, tool and fixture design and fabrication, welding techniques etc.
2) Systems specific knowledge refers to information and industrial capability within a firm that gives it a competitive advantage over rival firms. This knowledge and know-how may consist of special solutions or procedures to a problem, acquired in the previous manufacturing experience in related product or process fields.
3) Firm specific knowledge differs from system specific in that cannot be attributed to a particular production item and usually results from the firm’s overall activities in such as gray-iron casting or their material fields.

ROUTES OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER:

The principal routes of enterprise-enterprise technology transfer are:
Licensing or franchise: Licensing and Franchise arrangements vary from a complete package of instructions, technical assistance and training to mere permission for the manufacture and sale of a product.
Suppliers of Materials and Parts: Suppliers of materials and parts are often willing to provide a full range of technical support, information and manufacturing know-how, and thy can be as effective in know-how transfer as in industrial licensing arrangements. The manufacturing of color TV sets in India is a classic example of this type.
Equipment Supplier: A variety of technical services are provided by equipment suppliers, including operational and maintenance procedures and even processing know-how . Some technologies are machine based and therefore the know-how is transferred along with supply of plant and equipment.
Outright purchase e.g., of turnkey plants or of complete manufacturing and operating specifications, drawings, know-ho, performance data and technical assistance.
Acquisition of the company or business owning the technology.
Joint ventures with the technology owners.
Franchising of trademarks and technical, management, and marketing know-how.
Combinations and variations of any of the above.