15.6 Transfer of Coastal-Adaptation Technologies between Countries
Coastal-adaptation technology transfer in an international context has many
of the same characteristics as that within countries. It consists primarily
of knowledge transactions, innovations predominantly emerge from government
laboratories and universities, stakeholders' incentives are not purely commercial,
and pathways and barriers are comparable, albeit more complex and far-reaching.
However, effective globalisation of coastal-adaptation technologies requires
creativity in two areas not necessarily required for technology transfer within
countries.
First, governments need to develop policies that go beyond meeting predetermined
goals or maintaining current standards, while all stakeholders must recognise
that the traditional paradigm that technology can be transferred full-blown
from one cultural context to another is flawed. Technologies must be adjusted,
oriented and made appropriate for local conditions in the host country, possibly
in the context of integrated coastal zone management. Second, the importance
of global networks to improve and accelerate coastal-adaptation technology transfer
should not be underestimated. Such networks provide access to up-to-date information
and real-time tracking of global trends, accelerate the formation of joint ventures
and permit direct participation in strategic locations around the world. The
process for building these networks must include not only personal links but
also institutional and functional linkages (Kozmetsky, 1990).
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