Unequal flows of technology

• Overview:

  • different types of tech flow between countries
  • in past tech in HICs but now investing in LICs to make capital gains e.g. manufacturing equipment > only HIC to LIC
  • LIC to HIC > consumer tech, phones etc manufactured in LICs and sold to HICs
• Benefits:

  • develop economies of LICs via tech investments > open factories and increase employment > strenghten trade deals > HIC benefit from export to LICs
  • companies products produced overseas > increase profit
  • concentration of tech innovation in HICs > tech advancements > consumers get better products
• Problems:

  • HICs have tech advantage over LICs because afford to buy the tech
  • Ppl in LICs can't afford tech that will advance their economy and increase QOL so HICs develop but LICs don't
  • Injustice that employees that manufacture and assemble computers, phones etc get little compared to what they sell for and poor working conditions > China only 50% have smartphones despite being biggest producer
  • loss of HIC manufacturing jobs > unemployment