Technological Capabilities of Complex Capital Goods in Developing Economies: The Case of a Company in Iran's Hydro Electricity Generation Industry

This paper investigates accumulation of technological capabilities by suppliers of complex capital goods in a developing economy. The paper is based on an in-depth، exploratory case study of an Iranian supplier of hydro electricity generation systems. This study borrows from an extensively researched، existing framework for study of technological capabilities building; however، it uses the frameworks flexibly to generate new insights into the accumulation of the capabilities in this new context. The results indicate that the existing frameworks، largely drawn from the East Asian experiences in high-volume manufacturing، need amendments to help in a better understanding of catch-up in complex capital goodsindustry. The paper proposes a framework and outlines implications for theory، policy and business strategy.