The Relationship between Science, Technology and the Economy in Lesser Developed Countries

Economic development is a goal of all nation-states, and a life necessity for lesser developed countries. Strategies for economic development stress the importance of science and technology in accomplishing such goals. This Note examines the relationship between science and technology in the context of the economic conditions in lesser developed countries. Two competing models conceptualize science, technology, and their relationship, and predict their simultaneous effects on the economy. These models are referred to as the ‘hierarchical model’ and the ‘symmetric model’. Using empirical analysis for the effects of published papers and patent applications on the Gross National Product, this Note examines the applicability of these two competing models to lesser developed countries during the 1970s and 1980s. On the basis of the results found, the Note concludes that there is no support for the applicability of the hierarchical model to lesser developed countries. Thus, the assumption of a hierarchical relationship between science and technology where economic development is concerned is refuted. This Note's findings call for a reassessment of development policies that are based on the assumptions of hierarchical relations between science and technology.