Analyzing the Legal Capacity for Supporting Technological Learning and Catch-up in Iran: A Comparative Study with Successful International Experiences

Government supportive policies play a significant role in technological learning and catching up in developing countries. In the last two decades, a number of laws have been passed in Iran that has targeted technology development and filling of the technological gap with leading countries. The present study employed a qualitative approach and documentary analysis method to compare the existing policies in the above-mentioned laws and policies in the successful experiences of technological catch-up in developing countries. Findings of the research indicate that: Firstly, the diversity of policies in these laws is similar to the policies that affect technological learning and catch-up in developing countries; secondly, as in the experiences of other developing countries, non-financial policies are far apart from financial policies; and thirdly, similar to the experience of developing countries, in Iran, the balance sheet is on the side of the supply side policies, and the demand side policies have been received less attention. Despite the presence of numerous and various laws and policies, Iran's failure in technological learning and catch-up can be attributed to the horizontal and non sector-specific nature of policy tools, as well as the challenges that emerge at the policy implementation stage.