Technological Learning and Its Promotion Policies

Economic growth and development is highly tied to the technological development of the firms and industries of each country, thus determining the enhancement of the economic position in a mutual interaction. In most cases, achieving technological development for latecomer firms and countries, becomes possible through the primary pathway of technological learning, through which latecomers try to reduce their technological and economic gap with technological frontiers and pioneers. This becomes possible with the help of government’s support and formulating and implementing proper policies; Therefore government policies plays an important role in how technological learning progresses. Accordingly, after explaining the concept of technological learning and its importance in developing countries as well as the concepts of technological gap and latecomers, this paper investigates the mechanism by which the technological learning takes place in firms. Next, technological learning modes, resources, processes and models are explained. This section is followed by pointing out the importance of governmental interventions in technological learning improvement and also the most important government policies in this field. Finally, this paper concludes with reviewing the successful experience of technological learning in an Iranian company, i.e. the MAPNA Group, and investigating the role of government policies in this achievement.