A Review of successful technological catch up policies in developing countries

Even though enormous efforts towards industrial development have been made in Iran over the past decades, the outcome has not been satisfying. One of the main problems is the lack of appropriate catch up policies in the country development plans and programs. In fact, in the case of Iran and other developing countries, passing from imitation to innovation phase is not that simple; in fact, the acquisition and absorption of current technologies should first be dealt with, second, the technological adaptation and modification have to be made for successful technological catch up, and finally, the innovation must gradually become the center of economic development process. These subjects highlight the importance of catch up policies for developing countries to achieve successful technological learning and innovation which have been considered as the key success factors for catch up. In carrying out this project, 12 successful catch up policies are identified by systematic review of literature and case studies.