High-tech Leapfrog
Posted on February 13, 2008 by Brandon Gast
In last week's print edition of The Economist, it is suggested that lavatories must come before laptops in the leapfrogging of technologies. The article suggests that most new technologies need to follow a traditional path when diffusing into emerging markets. Basic infrastructure is still a primary concern in these countries and the introduction of high-tech products does not directly address the core issues. "Most of the time, to go high-tech, you need to have gone medium-tech first." Cell phones may prove to be the exception of a rapid technological advance in the developing world.
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Globalisation
High Tech advances in third world economies? what is the point in even going high tech if the life you lead does not allow for it to play a part, forget about high or even medium tech offer sustainability of a decent standard of living and the technological advances will follow suit. Be realistic, Lavatories must definately come before laptops.
Re: Globalisation
Thank you for your comments. First I want to say that I absolutely agree with you - the poor need their means of subsistence met before we start selling them $100 laptops. And if you follow the above link to The Economist you'll see that they agree as well.
That being said, there are a few examples where a technology leapfrog can actually help improve the standard of living in the developing world. Cell phones are a good example. In many developing countries, there is a lack of infrastructure for traditional telecommunications so the mobile phone has now bypassed the land-line as the preferred means of communication.
Another example is the use of solar energy provided by the advancement of photo voltaic cell technology. Once again, with a lack of necessary infrastructure, people in the developing world have learned to adapt with new technologies. Solar power is a means by which energy can be provided to remote locales that lack power grids. I did a quick scan for articles on this and found an interesting one on allAfrica.com, check it out.
Globalization-The basics will do it Developing countries
I am well pleased by our comments. However they are still addressing the roofs of the problems facing Third world countries. The sofisticated technology will not be able to solve many issues affecting the people living in third world countries. Take a case like mobile phones, they are making the poor more poorer; They yearn to buy credit and topup their phones yet they have no reliable sources for income. In third world countrie, a case like Kenya would really develop if there was adequate supply of water for land irrigation. The Africans are endowed with good physical strength and are really hard workers, however the climatic conditions does not allow them to reap from their sweating. So for me, the basic needs like availability of water, markets for their products and allowing them to plan and work naturally, will be the most appropriate way of alleviating poverty.
Globalisation
The globalisation is going to reduce poverty.... there are many studies that indicate the inequalities are increasing. But there are some indicators that hints that globalisation is helping to reduce poverty. The provision of basic services are the responsibilities of government agencies. the government agencies do not have the records of the citizens. Even the poor are counted. The authorities do not have an attitude to solve the problems of poor. There is no mechanism to address there problems, there is no system to count them. In such situations what so ever methods or strategies are adopted, it will fail.
the experiences are based on the world bank projects operating in North India in especially Punjab.
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