A Service of

Leibniz-Informationszentrum econstor Wirtschaft Leibniz Information Centre Make Your Publications Visible. zbw for Economics

Menck, Karl-Wolfgang

Article — Digitized Version The concept of appropriate

Intereconomics

Suggested Citation: Menck, Karl-Wolfgang (1973) : The concept of appropriate technology, Intereconomics, ISSN 0020-5346, Verlag Weltarchiv, Hamburg, Vol. 08, Iss. 1, pp. 8-10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02927517

This Version is available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/138763

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use:

Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. personal and scholarly purposes.

Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle You are not to copy documents for public or commercial Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. publicly available on the , or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, If the documents have been made available under an Open gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. www.econstor.eu FORUM quality, adaptability to local age: foreign capital-technology- insurmountable obstacles to the conditions and price. It is per- management. entry of the semi-developed haps a sympton of our time that There is no basis for a belief nations into world trade in Brazil, a country particularly that the developing countries manufactures. generous to foreign investors, will abandon their present ef- insists upon detailed screening forts to diminish the degree of It would be very useful to the --case by case-of the know- technological dependence and technology exporting countries how purchases. to cut down the costs of im- to take note of the described ported know-how. What should changes in the attitude of many One may state without ex- be expected instead is an in- less developed nations towards aggeration that the country crease in the number of coun- the problems of science and . Otherwise, offering inspiration these days tries that will follow the road to the developing world in this taken by Argentina, Brazil and serious and unnecessary con- flicts may arise between both respect is Japan that had long . Most probably, the main ago developed the art of choos- thrust of new policies will be groups that would not serve the ing and buying foreign tech- directed towards elimination of best interests of the parties nology from alternative sources all sorts of restrictive business concerned. In this particular and at low prices. This does practices that accompany the field there is a great need for not mean that the developing sales of technology under li- mutual understanding and for countries lack awareness that censing agreements between keeping all channels of com- Japanese policies and practices foreign technology owners and munication open. It is an en- cannot be imitated elsewhere. domestic manufacturing firms. couraging sign that World in- Their aim is not to create ob- The main argument of the de- tellectual Property Organization stacles to foreign investment veloping countries is that these (WIPO), that represents a meet- and concentrate exclusively on practices, frequently embodied ing place for technology produc- the purchases of know-how, in licensing contracts, are not ing and purchasing countries, but to unravel-for negotiation only illegal in the industrial shows growing awareness of purposes-the traditional pack- countries themselves, but offer the issues involved.

The Concept of Appropriate Technology

by Dr Karl-Wolfgang Menck, Hamburg*

t the end of the second de- too costly because the methods nical methods in the widest A velopment decade the in- made available to them neces- sense which have yet to be dis- dustrial countries' technical aid sitated imports from the indus- covered and provided for the is in the centre of severe criti- trial countries. For this purpose countries of the Third World. cism: the LDCs have had to expend part of their already scarce for- The development of appro- [] to some of the LDCs it has eign exchange. priate is possible made technologies available either by down-grading techni- that they were unable to apply In view of these reproaches, cal methods of the industrial because the necessary qualifi- at least partly justified as they countries according to the re- cations were missing; are, the concept of the technol- ceiving countries' aims and [] to most LDCs technical aid ogy transfer evolved. Particular conditions or up-grading the has brought capital-intensive methods and skills specifically methods known to, and applied methods that ran contrary to geared on the aims and re- in, receiving countries by way the widespread under-employ- quirements of the receiving of supplementing them with ment; countries were to be made technical capabilities of the in- available to the receiving coun- dustrial countries. Partly, meth- [] finally, for many receiving countries technical aid proved tries as appropriate or inter- ods and techniques so far only mediate technology. In this con- held on the record are being HWWA-lnstltut for Wirtschaftsforschung nexion appropriate or inter- practically applied again. It is (The Hamburg Institute for International Economics). mediate technologies are tech- in any case important that ap-

8 INTERECONOMICS, No. 1, 1973 FORUM propriate technologies are not how of industrial countries may gies to protect the goods pro- "white elephants". Methods no play a vital role in the duced under these measures. longer remunerative or com- shape of experiences already One has, however, not always petitive in industrial countries gained, although the experi- also succeeded in shifting the should therefore not be ex- ences in themselves are not demand onto the domestic pro- ported to the LDCs 1. There have what is meant by appropriate duction and creating the neces- in the past been ample exam- technologies ~. sary markets for the new manu- ples for this misunderstanding: facturing methods. As the ex- the export of outdated German Labour-Intensive Technologies periences of the Kumasi Uni- textile to countries of versity in Ghana have taught, the Third World is no construc- Apart from technical charac- one of the reasons may well be tive contribution in the sense teristics, appropriate technolo- that labour-intensive finishing of development policy; such gies are determined by addi- methods in the textile industry, sort of equipment is labour-in- tional economic criteria which metal working and in the timber tensive but at the same time were also set out authoritatively industry can simply not com- also prone to frequent and ex- during the discussion on tech- pete with mass-produced cheap tensive repair. The supply of nical aid'. All measures of this articles imported from various spareparts takes a long time technology are, for instance, to industrial countries. Against and requires heavy foreign ex- be as labour-intensive as pos- these goods, the quantities change expenditure 2. This sort sible in order to lessen under- manufactured according to of thing therefore helps the re- employment in the LDCs. The LDC home-technologies are too ceiving country precious little. industrial countries have recog- insignificant for satisfying the nised and accepted this inten- total demand. Mostly also the It still remains to be clarified tion of the LDCs in their en- prices are higher, and the qual- whether in individual cases cer- deavours towards an appro- ities lower, than those of im- tain raw materials should, when priate technology6. But for the ported merchandise. Local man- applying the principle of appro- present, labour-intensive tech- ufacture and end-assembly are priate technology, in the receiv- nologies pay homage only to moreover in no position to solve ing country be replaced by the aim of lessening under-em- the LDC's big problem of spare- other more readily available ployment. But in spite of the parts and thus fully to eliminate materials. Experiments, such as nominally great differences be- their dependence on imports using timber constructions in- tween wages in industrial coun- even though domestic finishing stead of metal ones, have so tries and those in the LDCs they processes are initially job-creat- far not resulted in cost saving have not in all cases contrib- ing and the assembly, contrary unless people were willing to uted towards an increase of to the finishing, is less knowl- reduce simultaneously the life- exports which, on the other edge-demanding and therefore span and operational quality hand, many LDCs strive at no more geared to the criteria of of the installation. From expe- less intensively. appropriate technology 7. riences of this nature, A. Banjo of the Economic Commission The Criterion of Even the distinctly tabour- for was among those who Export Intensity intensive manufacture of elec- deduced that the utilisation of trical appliances and radio sets Mostly, the foreign exchange helps domestic sales rather materials locally available in requirements have, as a result the LDCs, but mostly no longer than the export to world mar- of labour-intensive appropriate kets. In the latter, the com- used in the industrial countries, technologies, been reduced only would have to be in concur- panies applying appropriate by means of tariff walls in order technology meet with difficulties rence with the development of simultaneously with the mea- new techniques for any specific in asserting themselves against sures of appropriate technolo- cheap mass products in spite purpose'. In this field, the know- 4 See also intermediate technology work of many protectionist mea- programme, Intermediate Technology De- sures a. 1 See H. Dickinson's contribution velopment Group, Annual Report 1970/71, to the discussion on Development and page 9. Dissemination of Appropriate Technolo- 7 See Results of the Conference of Ap- ies in Rural Areas at the Meeting In s See D. Brlcke, Appropriate Tech- propriate Technologies for Development ~ umesi (Ghana), July 17 to 28, 1972, nology: Die Anpassung der Technik an Countries, Berlin, October 4-6, 1971, and den Menschen (The Adjustment of Tech- the Conference on Development and Dis- 2 See K. H. So h n, Entwlcklungshllfe, nology for Man), In: Entwlcklung und semination of Appropriate Technologies Theorle und Praxis der Deutschen Ent- Zusammenarbelt (Development and Co- in Rural Areas, Kumasi(Ghana), July 17-18. wicklungshilfe (Development Policy, Theo- operation), 5/71, pp. 5-7. 1972. ry and Practice of the German Develop- ment Aid), Munich 1972, page 19. 6 See inter alia Der Bundesmlnlster for s See Phillps' Gloelampenfabrieken, Eind- wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbelt (The Fed- hoven (Netherlands), The Utrecht Pilot 3 See A. Banjo's contribution to the eral Minister for Economic Cooperation): Plant. H. v. d. B r I n k, Neuantwlcklung discussion on Development end Dissemi- The Transfer of Technology to Develop- von sltuatlonskonformen Technlken, at the nation of Appropriate Technologies In Ing Countries - An Expanded Pro- Conference on Appropriate Technologies Rural Areas at the Meeting tn Kumasl gramme of the Federal Republic of Ger- for Developing Countries, Berlin, October (Ghana), July 17 to 28, 1972. many, Bonn, July 14, 1971 (multlplled). 4-6, 1971.

INTERECONOMICS, No. 1, 1973 9 FORUM

Finally, the criterion of the ances and implements for the Santiago also incorporated this export intensity fails, in con- practical application of new proposal in one of their reso- nexion with appropriate tech- technologies will in most cases lutions 10 nologies, to be effective if be abstained from as long as these technologies are to ben- there is no change in attitudes Aid Performance of efit domestic craft and small generally. Often the necessary the Industrial Countries firms. It is particularly this kind investments will also not be of enterprises for which advan- made because of the expendi- Over and above this, the do- tages are expected from the ture exceeding the financial nor countries are in a position spreading of appropriate tech- capacity of the recipient of ap- to assist the receiving countries nologies because it is intended propriate technologies. The in their efforts towards an ap- that they survive which, how- prospect of higher yields in the propriate technology by placing ever, depends in the long run future cannot make present in- their technical knowledge at the on a better know-how as here- vestments appear convincing disposal of the latter. For most tofore. But for the time being because it is small and medium of the LDCs the industrial coun- these undertakings produce for enterprises that are without a tries' know-how in the shape of the local and national markets proper internal accounting sys- patents and licences is most and may occasionally also sell tem. Only this system will make valuable. The international co- their goods in neighbouring the inter-relations of higher in- operation in the passing-on of countries. But it is only seldom comes as a result of an appro- technical knowledge must there- that they venture into the world priate technology visible. fore also include the active co- markets. Finally, measures of assistance of companies in the the appropriate technologies Obviously, subsidies and cheap industrial countries. They pos- can in the spheres of credits could further the spread sess a significant part of the welfare, house building and of the appropriate technology technical know-how which is infra-structure influence a coun- provided the purchase of ma- apt to provide an important con- try's imports and exports only chines and implements would tribution for the modernisation indirectly. be rendered easier for the in- and the production growth in vestor as part and parcel of the the LDCs' industry. application of appropriate tech- Problems of Spreading nology. This aid is, however, It is, after all, also up to the The discussion on appropri- not adequate because first of LDCs themselves to further in- ate technologies is not merely all many obstacles of a psycho- dividually and among each occupied with the questions logical nature can, when it other, and in their dealings with comes to the transfer of tech- as to the aims pursued and on the industrial countries, the co- nology, not be removed with operation necessary for the de- which criteria to judge the en- money incentives only. velopment and spreading of ap- tire aspect. In view of the so propriate technologies particu- far rather unfavourable results The strong influence of finan- larly in the decisive fields of the of the spreading of appropriate cial conditions on the success economy, technique and social technology the general interest of measures for the preparing sciences. With the best of in- is concentrated on the problem of appropriate technologies and tentions of the industrial na- as to who is going to be re- the high cost connected with tions, there can be no success- cipient of this form of develop- the development of these meth- ful strategy for the appropriate ment aid and how it will be pos- ods necessitate in any case technology and the transfer of sible to spread it. also a financial participation technology without active co- within the sphere of develop- assistance of these countries. On the receiving end of ment aid. Claims to this effect appropriate technologies shall, have already been made in the lo See Partners in Development, Report of the Commission on International De- according to unanimous opin- Pearson Report, and the plan velopment, Chairman C. B. Pearson, Lon- for a world-wide promotion of don 4th edition, 1970, pp. 22 and 202. ion, not merely be large inter- See also: World Plan of Action for the science and technology also Application of Science end Technology national and national companies to Development prepared by the Advisory in the Third World but also points at this aspect. Finally, Committee on the Application of Science the delegates to UNCTAD III at and Technology to Development for the small and medium-size ones Second Development Dec- ade. New York, 1971; R. H. Klingner, occupied with handicraft and 9 See K. Schiller, Zur Wachstums- D. S u I, World Plan of Action for the with agriculture. But particularly problemetik der Entwicklungsl&nder (To Application of Science end Technology, the Growth Problems of the LDCs), in: comprehensive survey, Bochum, December in those, one finds little incli- Entwicklungstheorle und Entwicklungspoli- 1971; A. Nalni, A. Borrmann, tik. D. Mackenroth, Zum Qed&chtnls von H.-L. Dornbusch, Analyse der The- nation to venture into long-term seinen Freunden und Sch01arn (To his men und Ergabnissa der Dritten Walt- memory by his friends and pupils), pub- handelskonfaranz (Analysis of the Subjects productive investments'. The lished by E. Boattchar, T0blngen 1964, and Results of the Third World Trade purchase of machines, appli- pp. 202. Conference), Hamburg 1972, pp. 161.

10 INTERECONOMICS, No. 1, 1973