Measurement of level and gap of technological development

In the present world of exponential technological growth, technological cooperation is a major imperative. In selecting optimal partners for technological cooperation, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the levels and gaps of a technology with respect to the cooperating countries/industries/firms. This is because both large and small gaps in technology make cooperation difficult. However, technological cooperation is a viable proposition for partners with moderate gaps, since the benefits would be mutual. Gaps and levels can be measured in an absolute or relative sense, and also in qualitative or quantitative terms. This paper presents procedures for the analysis of levels and gaps with respect to specific technologies. Illustrative examples from selected fields are included. It is hoped that a disaggregated analysis of levels and gaps in terms of the four basic components of technology can give better insights for technology planning.