A quantitative model for the evaluation of technological alternatives

This paper presents a quantitative model that may be of use to the national development planners, investment funding authorities, and entrepreneurs, who are confronted with the problems of choosing the appropriate technology among many available alternatives. The model provides a systematic and analyst-independent methodology for the multicriterion technology selection process, which requires consideration of socioeconomic as well as technological factors. The procedure is mathematically straightforward and has the capability of integrating both objective and subjective aspects of the evaluation process, resulting in a unified technology measure as a guide for decision making. A case study is presented to illustrate the applicability and workability of the development model.