Contenu du sommaire : Transferts de technologie.

Hubert Drouvost Technological development and protectionism in Brazil How has the Brazilian administration implemented protectionism against industrial imports, especially computerware ? Owing to its interventionist options, the Brazilian state has created the technical potential for development in several fields. But protectionism has its limits : the country's industry is handicapped in international competition. This leads us to reconsider how Brazil's economy fits into the international marketplace.

Jean -Louis Le Goff Quality-control techniques in Chile Problems with product quality do not necessarily hinder transfers of technology. Handling them can be an objective of such transfers, as in the Chilean automobile industry where a parent company is introducing new methods for organizing production in its subsidiary. This transfer combines the installation of new quality-control machines with methodical training of the personnel so as to make employees aware of the need for quality. A social compromise about wages and skills is part of the technical success of this operation.

R. Cabanes Professional ethics and productive reason : chronicles of the relationship between a (French) parent company and its (Brazilian) subsidiary The reasons for the success, or failure, of cooperation between a French firm and its Brazilian subsidiary have to do with : «occupational cultures», the parent company's and Brazilian state's technological policies, and intracountry competition. These factors come into play through cooperation between work groups in the parent company and subsidiary : this is where a professional ethics is created that stimulates transfers and innovations in opposition to the prevailing rationality of production.

Jean-François Huchet and Li Zhaoxi Joint ventures and modernization of the electronics industry in China Chinese mixed corporations are described within the economic environment wherein they were created. The advantages of joint ventures are compared with those of transferring licences, as used to be done. Two strategies can be distinguished depending on the type of operation being set up : on the one hand, big Western operations that serve as a showcase for the open-door policy and, on the other, operations financed with Asian capital from Hong Kong, Taiwan or Chinese living abroad. In the many mixed corporations of Asian origins, there are much fewer transfers of modern techniques and know-how ; and the contribution to industrial development is limited.

Jean Ruffier and Wei Hu Preliminary talks in view of a Chinese subway This study of the preliminary phases of planning a subway in Canton describes how this project was drawn up and what it represents for concerned parties. Technical cooperation between seller and user involves the engineering company and decision-makers in both the city and national governments. The meaning of what is to be built comes out of overlapping interests, objectives and roles. The long discussions about the subway and the layout of its lines are analyzed so as to see how a compromise emerged. Light is thus shed on difficulties in relations between the various parties.

François Gipouloux A transfer of telecommunications technology to China The transfer of electronic commutator technology to China is placed in the framework of national and regional development policies. This sector has been assigned priority because of the telephone system's underdevelopment. Actors' strategies are analyzed ; and attention is directed at the drawbacks to cooperation (bureaucracy, poor personnel assignments, interministerial conflicts, and Chinese firms' lack of autonomy). Success is assessed in terms of the adoption of new techniques, gains in productivity and the capacity for product development.

Xavier Richet The reorganization of industry and cooperation between firms in Eastern Europe Following a description of the difficulty of technology transfers toward Eastern Europe, attention is focused on how industry is being reorganized there on the basis of joint ventures and direct investments. Given the privatization under way, Western firms' strategies are switching from a policy of transfer to one of direct control over firms. A few cases, with varying results, are mentioned.

Daniel Chave and Peter Simon Chronicles of a transfer during the transitional phase in Hungary These chronicles of one of the last technology transfers under a Communist government in Hungary describe the turbulent context of a political and economic transition. Results were variable : successful in terms of technical objectives but with persistent trouble reaching sales objectives. Before as well as after the political phase of transition, Hungarian firms have been operating under constraints.