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When does a developing country use new technologies?

Author

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  • Olivier Bruno
  • Cuong Van
  • Benoît Masquin

Abstract

We develop a model of optimal pattern of economic development that is first rooted in physical capital accumulation and then in technical progress. We study an economy where capital accumulation and innovative activity take place within a two sector model. The first sector produces a consumption good using physical capital and non skilled labor. Technological progress in the consumption sector is driven by the research activity that takes place in the second sector. Research activity which produces new technologies requires technological capital and skilled labor. New technologies induce and endogenous increase of the Total Factor Productivity of the consumption sector. Physical and technological capital are not substitutable while skilled and non skilled labor may be substitutable. We show that under conditions on the adoption process of new technologies, the optimal strategy for a developing country consist in accumulating physical capital first; postponing the importation of technological capital to the second stage of development. This result is due to a threshold effect from which new technologies begin to have an impact on the productivity of the consumption sector. However, we show that once a certain level of wealth is reached, it becomes optimal for the economy to import technological capital to produce new technologies.
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  • Olivier Bruno & Cuong Van & Benoît Masquin, 2009. "When does a developing country use new technologies?," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 40(2), pages 275-300, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joecth:v:40:y:2009:i:2:p:275-300
    DOI: 10.1007/s00199-008-0370-8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cuong Le Van & Tu-Anh Nguyen & Manh-Hung Nguyen & Thai Luong, 2010. "New Technology, Human Capital, and Growth in a Developing Country," Mathematical Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(4), pages 215-241.
    2. Pham, Ngoc-Sang & Pham, Thi Kim Cuong, 2020. "Effects of foreign aid on the recipient country’s economic growth," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 52-68.
    3. Bosi, Stefano & Camacho, Carmen & Le Van, Cuong, 2024. "A model of growth with living capital," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    4. Cuong Le Van & Anh Ngoc Nguyen & Ngoc‐Minh Nguyen & Michel Simioni, 2018. "Growth strategy with social capital, human capital and physical capital—Theory and evidence: The case of Vietnam," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 20(5), pages 768-787, October.
    5. Ngoc-Sang Pham, 2023. "Some Lectures on Macroeconomics," Working Papers hal-04366349, HAL.
    6. Le Van, Cuong & Pham, Ngoc-Sang, 2021. "Why Does Productivity Matter?," MPRA Paper 106042, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Le Van, Cuong & Luong, Thai Bao & Nguyen, Manh-Hung & Nguyen, Tu-Anh, 2010. "New Technology, Human Capital and Growth for a Developing Country," LERNA Working Papers 10.22.328, LERNA, University of Toulouse.
    8. Thi Kim Cuong PHAM & Ngoc-Sang PHAM, 2017. "Economic growth and escaping the poverty trap: how does development aid work?," Working Papers P197, FERDI.
    9. Thanh Tam Nguyen-Huu & Minh Nguyen-Khac & Quoc Tran-Nam, 2017. "The role of environmental regulations and innovation in TFP convergence: Evidence from manufacturing SMEs in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series 092, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Huu Thanh Tam Nguyen & Ngoc-Sang Pham, 2014. "Should the host economy invest in a new industry? The roles of FDI spillovers, development level, and heterogeneity of firms," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 14086, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    11. Cuong Le Van & Manh-Hung Nguyen & Thai Bao Luong, 2006. "New technology, Human Capital and Growth for Developing Countries," Post-Print halshs-00118979, HAL.
    12. Yunfang Hu & Takuma Kunieda & Kazuo Nishimura & Ping Wang, 2023. "Flying or trapped?," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 75(2), pages 341-388, February.
    13. Juan A. Correa & Miguel Lorca & Francisco Parro, 2019. "Capital–Skill Complementarity: Does Capital Composition Matter?," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(1), pages 89-116, January.
    14. Nguyen, Ngoc Anh & Pham, Quang Ngoc & Nguyen, Dinh Chuc & Nguyen, Duc Nhat, 2007. "Innovation and Export of Vietnam’s SME Sector," MPRA Paper 3256, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Pham, Ngoc-Sang, 2023. "Intertemporal equilibrium with physical capital and financial asset: Role of dividend taxation," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 95-104.
    16. Cuong Le Van & Manh-Hung Nguyen & Thai Bao Luong & Tu Anh Nguyen, 2008. "New Technology, Human Capital and Growth for European Transitional Economies," THEMA Working Papers 2008-07, THEMA (THéorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), Université de Cergy-Pontoise.
    17. Correa, Juan & Lorca, Miguel & Parro, Francisco, 2014. "Capital-Skill Complementarity: Does capital disaggregation matter?," MPRA Paper 61285, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Thanh Tam Nguyen-Huu & Minh Nguyen-Khac & Quoc Tran-Nam, 2017. "The role of environmental regulations and innovation in TFP convergence: Evidence from manufacturing SMEs in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-92, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    19. Pham, Ngoc-Sang, 2017. "Dividend taxation in an infinite-horizon general equilibrium model," MPRA Paper 80580, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Thanh Tam Nguyen-Huu & Ngoc-Sang Pham, 2021. "Escaping the middle income trap and getting economic growth: How does FDI can help the host country?," Working Papers halshs-03143087, HAL.
    21. Jean-Michel Grandmont, 2013. "Tribute to Cuong Le Van," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 9(1), pages 5-10, March.
    22. Thanh Tam Nguyen-Huu & Ngoc‐sang Pham, 2023. "FDI spillovers, New Industry Development, and Economic Growth," Post-Print hal-04240260, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Optimal growth; New technologies; Optimal patterns of development; F43; 011; 014; 033; 041;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O41 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - One, Two, and Multisector Growth Models

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