Economic Development & Technical Capabilities
MIT OpenCourseWare offers the materials for this graduate course on how developing countries acquire the technological capabilities needed for economic growth. The course distinguishes the innovation skills required at the world technological frontier from the broader capabilities developing economies need, including production engineering, project execution, and the incremental innovation required to adapt borrowed technology. Theoretical frameworks for technology acquisition are examined alongside empirical evidence from two groups of countries: more advanced developers such as Taiwan, Korea, India, China, and Brazil, and less advanced regions including parts of Africa and the Middle East. Materials include the syllabus, readings, and assignments as published by MIT, free to access under an open license, with no certificate offered. The course suits students of economic development, industrial policy, or urban and regional planning who want a structured look at how nations build technical competence.