26th International Association for Management of Technology Conference - IAMOT 2017

Technology transfer is a vital structured procedure for developing nations as it provides the opportunity to implement a technology that would otherwise be unobtainable due to economic, social, political and other constraints. In the highly technical fields of ICT and healthcare, technology transfer could play a critical role in the development and widespread implementation of various devices and systems. The aim of this paper is the elucidation the technology transfer process from private to public in the ICT and healthcare sectors. This included the highlighting of key components that a domestic environment requires to ensure the successful adoption and implantation of an external construct. The primary objective is to determine the various methods that are available to facilitate technology transfer along with the specific barriers that accompany each method. Universal barriers were also of interest with a critical focus on how the presence (or absence) of different infrastructure components in developing African countries would influence the process. A conceptual review was undertaken to establish a foundation for the theory behind technology transfer, infrastructure analysis and e-Health technologies. This conceptual review holds technology transfer as the core component and attempted to incorporate the concepts of infrastructure analysis and e-Health into a technology transfer framework. To unpack the various nuances of successful technology transfer, a cross-sectional analysis was performed. This analysis focussed on how real world case studies attempted to approach the various aspects of technology transfer that were identified in the conceptual review. This analysis also enabled the comparison of technology transfer methods with one another and then gauge their relative success. This paper found that the major methods for technology transfer include FDIs, joint ventures and the utilization of TTOs. Due to the knowledge component of a technology transfer venture, it was concluded that the lack of soft infrastructure (such as a technically skilled workforce) will have an equally detrimental impact as the lack of fundamental infrastructure (such as stable power supplies). Governments were determined to be the critical stakeholders with the primary responsibilities of establish infrastructure and creating an attractive environment for foreign investors while still protecting local suppliers through legislation. This paper promotes several reflexions of technology uses in the digital world with regards to cultural, management and legal aspects and as such supports the conference’s themes. The paper also addressed the challenges that the present digital world is facing through highlighting key strategies that are need to bridge the digital divide in African LDCs. Keywords: technology transfer, infrastructure, e-Health