The Pattern of Building and Accumulating Technological Capabilities for Producing Complex Product Systems in Developing Countries: The Case Study of Oil Turbo Compressor Company

During last decades a large amount of efforts have been done by emerging economies and new industrialized countries in order to and acquiring essential knowledge and technological capabilities for manufacturing and developing complex products and systems (CoPS). As an example, Iran has been doing a lot of efforts in order to acquire essential knowledge, skills and capabilities for manufacturing and upgrading gas turbines and it achieved pleasant and remarkable results. So, this paper aims at investigating the pattern of building and accumulating technological capabilities of manufacturing gas turbines by an Iranian latecomer firm named Oil Turbo Compressor Company (OTC) through applying qualitative approach and case study strategy. The findings show that, the pattern of building and acquiring technological capabilities of manufacturing gas turbines in OTC includes three stages: 1) Buying, assembling and exploiting imported gas turbines; 2) Co-manufacturing gas turbines under license; and 3) Independently manufacturing and producing gas turbines under sanction. In addition, the evolution and dynamism of technology acquisition strategies and technology learning mechanisms in each stage of mentioned pattern have been presented.