WT/WGTTT/W/23  
 
13 August 2014  
(14-4688)  Page: 1/10  
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology   
 
 REPORT ON THE WORKSHOP ON TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY 
MONDAY 16 JUNE 2014 
Table of Contents 
1   BACKGROUND  & OPENING .......................................................................................... 1  
2   THE WORKSHOP .......................................................................................................... 2  
2.1   Session 1.1 - Trade and Technology Transfer for Sustainable Development and New 
Trends in Transfer of Te chnology Coop eration ....................................................................... 2  
2.2   Session 1.2 - Technological and R&D Institutions Activities Related to Trade and 
Technology Transfer .......................................................................................................... 3 
2.3   Session 1.3 - International Agreements and their Impact on Trade and Technology 
Transfer ...................................................................................................................... .... 3 
2.4   Session 2.1 - Host and Home Country  Conditions for Trade and Transfer of 
Technology .................................................................................................................... .. 4 
2.5   Session 2.2 - How Global and Regional Value Chains, FDI and Non-equity Modes of 
International and Production Impact on Trade and Transfer of Technology? Some national experiences ................................................................................................................... .. 5
 
2.6   Session 2.3 - Cluster Policies in Trade and Transfer of Technology. Promoting Trade 
and Transfer of Technology in the Services Sector ................................................................. 5  
3   DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................. 6  
ANNEX 1 - PROGRAMME ................................................................................................... 8  
 
1  BACKGROUND & OPENING 
1.1.  A Workshop on Trade and Transfer of Technology was held on 16 June 2014 under the 
auspices of the Working Group on Trade and Tran sfer of Technology (WGTTT). The Working Group, 
at its July 2013 meeting, had agreed to hold a one-day workshop based on a proposal by Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru aimed at enhancing Members' understanding of issues 
related to the nexus between trade and technology  transfer. The programme of the workshop is 
attached to this report. 
1.2.  The Chairman of the Working Group, Amba ssador Abdolazeez S. Al-Otaibi (Saudi Arabia), 
presided the workshop.  
1.3.  Funding for the workshop was met through the technical assistance budget of ITTC.   
1.4.  The workshop was opened by DDG Fredrick Yonov Agah, who recalled the mandate of the 
WGTTT and described its work in some detail. He stressed that that innovation, technology 
generation and its transfer had assumed greater importance in the era of globalisation, with 
technology having, in effect, become a fourth factor of production. With knowledge now a key 
strategic resource for national economic development, he added, technology had become widely 
recognised as a crucial global means for job creation, income generation, value-addition and for 
shared prosperity. Noting the still-wide gaps among countries in terms of technological sophistication and labour productivity, he under scored that technological upgrading was not easy, WT/WGTTT/W/23 
 
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  he observed that effective technology transfer is the product of a complex long-term process 
involving a number of factors as well as the interaction of actors both at national and international level. DDG Agah highlighted the increasing impo rtance of the enabling environment in the host 
country including technology and innovation for growth and development and noted that policies 
by the public and private sectors in both home an d host countries could encourage greater flows of 
technology. 
2  THE WORKSHOP 
2.1.  The day-long workshop's six sessions were broadly divided into two halves, the morning 
session focusing on international collaboration on technology transfer, and the afternoon session on the enabling environment for trade and transfer of technology. 
2.1  Session 1.1 - Trade and Technology Tr ansfer for Sustainable Development and New 
Trends in Transfer of Technology Cooperation 
2.2.  Pedro Roffe of the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) 
stressed the importance of creating, acquiring and adapting appropriate new technologies for 
competitiveness and development. All of this requires appropriate skills, institutions, and 
favourable home and host country environments. He emphasised that the process of innovation and technology transfer was neither automatic nor costless. 
2.3.  Frederick Bordry of the European Centre of Nuclear Research (CERN), which is both an 
international organization and a research institution, highlighted the connection between fundamental research and innovation (even if the return on investments in fundamental research 
is not immediately apparent), citing the example of the world wide web and new efficient solar 
panels relying on ultra-vacuum technology. He was emphatic about the importance of knowledge 
and education for innovation, pointing to CERN's support for training physics teachers, alongside other work on evaluating patent and licensing needs. 
2.4.  Joachim Monkelbaan from the United Nati ons Environment Programme (UNEP) pointed to the 
changing geography of trade and innovation in environmental technology. In his view, China's 
solar technology exports largely went to the EU a few years ago; but today, these mostly go to 
developing countries. Similarly, China has overtaken the US and Japan as the leading patent 
applicant for solar thermal and wind energy technology (though some of these applications come from overseas firms operating in China). Technology transfer among developing countries is becoming increasingly dynamic. At the same time , green technologies are a subject of increasing 
trade tension, as evidenced by anti-dumping and countervailing duties. 
2.5.  He highlighted the complexities of technolo gy transfer, for which capacity building is even 
more important than it is for trade. He argued for a fact-based assessment of technological needs: 
for instance, changing fuel and improving energy  efficiency could do more than new renewable 
technology for achieving greenhouse gas emissions cuts; some of the most pressing technological needs are relatively humble, such as improved charcoal stoves, solar cookers, etc.  
2.6.  Mr. Monkelbaan described UNEP's initiative s to facilitate technology transfer, including 
through a technology mechanism under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Another initiative developed a scheme for identifying and classifying climate technology and patents. Nevertheless, finance remained an obstacle to access clean technology, with different 
avenues being explored to make it more attractive to private investors. He attributed the 
technology transfer successes of UN Chemicals Conventions and the Montreal Protocol to a combination of dedicated funding and the existence of commercial interests pushing for the 
changes, together with the availability of technological alternatives. 
2.7.  Panellists generally agreed on the need for fact-based discussions of technology transfer, 
since obstacles and technology needs can vary consid erably from one case to the other. They also 
expressed similar views to the effect that innova tion, IP policies, and often long-term development 
strategies should not be treated in isolation, but rather addressed in a holistic manner, to foster technology, innovation and trade. WT/WGTTT/W/23 
 
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  2.2  Session 1.2 - Technological and R&D Inst itutions Activities Related to Trade and 
Technology Transfer 
2.8.  Martha Evelyn Menjivar Cortez, a Counsellor at the Mission of El Salvador, stepped in for a 
capital-based official who could not turn up for the workshop. She stressed the need to promote 
research & development (R&D) to foster innovation . Expenditures on R&D, including on education, 
were vital both for generating technology and deriving effective results from its use. The complex nature of knowledge, she added, meant that time and effort were needed to acquire, absorb and 
adapt it, which in turn calls for strong capacity building efforts by countries. Strong links among 
universities, research centres and IP offices are critical in this regard, she added, as are technology and innovation support centres that can provide access to technology information and related services to researchers, academics or other parties. 
2.9.  Hubert Escaith, WTO's Chief Statistician, noted the importance of education to countries' 
ability to integrate into the global value chains (GVC) that have become a dominant feature of global trade and investment. Entering into GVCs requires meeting industrial norms, and thus 
necessitates a long term mutually beneficial re lationship between the lead-firm and the supplier 
firms with consequent upgradation of facilities and infrastructure. He said that countries would do well to adopt education policies that foster vocational/technical education, which can equip people 
with skills to benefit from particular technologies and innovations. Mr. Escaith also pointed to the 
importance of institutional quality for technological transfer, including for policies regarding investment. He observed that services liberalization, in particular through Mode 3 and Mode 4, has potential to help technological upgradation. 
2.3  Session 1.3 - International Agreements and their Impact on Trade and Technology 
Transfer 
2.10.  Hiroko Yamane, Professor Emeritus at Japan's National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, 
presented an analysis of royalties from several forms of intellectual property, revealing that Japan 
became a net exporter of technology only as recently as 2005. She made the case that since World War II, Japan's development strategy was based on adapting existing technologies and 
encouraging/promoting incremental innovation. More recently, emerging countries such as China 
and Korea have considerably increased their R&D spendings. To benefit from technology transfer and innovation, an adequate policy mix of education, technology and entrepreneurial skills is essential. Intellectual property protections (IPRs) are, in her view, only a subsidiary means to 
entrepreneurial innovation. 
2.11.  Keith E. Maskus, Professor at the University  of Colorado, observed that there were several 
different channels for technology transfer, including amongst others, imports of intermediate 
goods, foreign direct investment (FDI), patent licensing and the movement of skilled labour. While 
trade agreements can facilitate technology transfer, he said, they were only one among several important factors. Empirical studies suggest that  membership in the WTO and regulatory reforms 
attract more high-technology trade and FDI. Whil e preferential trade agreements that include 
investor-protection rules appear to foster increased FDI flows, the evidence is less clear for bilateral investment treaties that are not linked to improved market access. Mr. Maskus identified three main channels through which Trade Agreements can facilitate technology transfer: by 
reducing trade restrictions and expanding market size, by offering strong commitments against 
policy backsliding, and by making regulatory rules in countries more transparent. As for the poorest countries, however, Mr. Maskus said there was little evidence to suggest that they have 
been benefitting from technology transfer and diffusion. He said that the WTO has more scope to 
foster technology transfer, including through GATS Mode 4.   
2.12.  Juan Julio Gutiérrez, Director for Poli cy and Planning, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y 
Tecnología (CONCYTEC) of Peru highlighte d the importance of the TRIPS Agreement's 
establishment of a minimum level of IP protection that countries have to provide, combined with time extensions for developing countries to comply  with the agreement. In the case of Peru, he 
said, industrial designs accounted for the plurality - some 27% - of intellectual property. However, 
industrial designs and patents were mostly gran ted to foreigners. Mr. Gutiérrez questioned the 
appropriateness of a common standard of intellectu al property protection for countries at different 
levels of development. Specifically, he suggested  that a weaker IPR regime might be better for 
countries at lower levels of development. Mr. Gutierrez highlighted the importance of utility models 
("petty patents") for developing countries, as they are typically used to protect adaptive and WT/WGTTT/W/23 
 
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  incremental innovation. He cited China as an exampl e, saying that utility models account for about 
50% of IPRs granted there. More specifically, he suggested that a utility model-based IPR regime would be more suitable for developing countries, but wondered aloud about the extent to which this was possible given the existence of the TRIPS regime and the fact that most innovation was 
done by foreigners.   
2.13.  Jayashree Watal, Counsellor in the WTO's Intellectual Property Division, argued whether 
countries are able to acquire the technology needed, and apply it appropriately. In her view, 
countries need not be net exporters of technology in order to achieve a high standard of living: 
while the US is the world's biggest technology ex porter, the EU is a net importer of technology. 
Ms. Watal cited research showing that integration into GVCs helps diffuse technology both in a North-South and South-South context.   
2.14.  Addressing the technology transfer prov isions in the TRIPS Agreement, Ms. Watal paid 
particular attention to the debate over Article 66, which includes mandatory provision for developed country Members to provide firms with incentives to transfer technology to LDCs. One 
problematic in the discussions is the lack of agreed definitions on incentives for technology 
transfer, she said. She also touched upon the is sue of the transfer of environmentally sound 
technologies, and the argument that IPRs should be less stringent for these so as to maximise the 
public good in terms of environmental conservation.   
2.15.  In the subsequent discussion, a delegate from El Salvador noted that knowledge was easier 
to transfer than innovation, and asked about potential mechanisms to strengthen innovation in developing countries. The delegate of Ecuador came back to the point of Mr. Maskus that there is 
little evidence of technology transfer to th e poorest countries and asked how the flow of 
technology can be improved. Similarly, the representative of the United States asked whether LDCs with a strong IP regime have experienced a different level of technology transfer compared 
to LDCs with a weak IP regime. Mr. Maskus prov ided three policy suggestions. First, the global 
community should provide better funding mechanism for poor countries to invest in technological upgradation and adaptive process, e.g. in green technologies and medicine. Second, real gains 
could be achieved by investing in linkages of science and technology institutions between 
developed and developing countries, for instance through the movement of skilled labour. Third, in the case of the WTO, he considered that services reform offer the greatest potential for facilitating technology transfer. Ms Yamane highlighted that LDCs need appropriate technologies rather than 
the newest technologies to pursue development trajectory. She considered technology licensing 
more effective than direct investment.  
2.4  Session 2.1 - Host and Home Country  Conditions for Trade and Transfer of 
Technology 
2.16.  The afternoon's first Session was opened wi th UNCTAD's Michael Lim stressing the need for 
governments to include industrial, trade, education and competition policies when thinking about 
how to encourage technology transfer. Mr. Lim highlighted international conduits for facilitating 
technology transfer such as Non-Equity Modes (NEMs) of production, FDI and multi-country value chains. Host country efforts – including coherent domestic policies - to build absorptive capacity were important for success, he argued, highlighting  that the appropriate policy mix depended on 
countries' specific conditions, and that there was no one-size-fits-all approach. He said that the 
governments needed to think about domestic policies and international policies when developing measures to facilitate technology transfer. 
2.17.  Robert D. Atkinson of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation argued that 
innovation was the product of incentives linked to Schumpeterian rewards. Obligations to transfer technology, he argued, would diminish incentives for innovation, and thus result in less innovation 
globally. He observed that growth requires countries to improve productivity but not necessarily to 
produce high technology products. 
2.18.  Nagesh Kumar from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the 
Pacific (UNESCAP) emphasised that technology continues to be concentrated in developed 
countries. He made the case for technology transfer, insisting that it was necessary to tackle 
emerging challenges. Addressing climate change, for instance, requires emissions mitigation technology to be widely diffused. He noted that certain policy instruments once used by developed WT/WGTTT/W/23 
 
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  and some developing countries to acquire technolo gy and promote industrial development were no 
longer available. The TRIMS Agreement, for instance, had ruled out local content requirements and other performance requirements. He suggested that in future, the international community could facilitate technology transfer by providing f unding for R&D in areas of specific concern for 
developing countries.   
2.19.  Xiang Yang Ge from the law firm Mayer Br own JSM shared China's experience with transfer 
of technology as a host country. He explained that large multinational corporations (MNC) were 
attracted by China's large market and low-cost labour market. He attributed China's success to a 
stable and strong legal framework, including a strong IP rights system. He predicted that while the Chinese policy framework still promotes imports of  technology, this may change as China becomes 
an exporter of technology. 
2.5  Session 2.2 - How Global and Regional Value Chains, FDI and Non-equity Modes of 
International and Production Impact on Trade and Transfer of Technology? Some 
national experiences 
2.20.  Mahmoud Elgarf, Head of the Technology and Industrial Development Sector of the Egyptian 
Ministry of Trade, Industry & Investment shared  his country's experiences, explaining how the 
Government had set up industrial modernisation centres, training councils and technology centres 
to support the institutional capacities of enterprises, and connect them to local industries. 
Measures to attract manufacturers were also in place. For Egypt, Mr. Elgarf said, "innovation goes hand in hand with entrepreneurship". He shared Egypt's experiences with setting up training and 
technology centres and SME support institutions to help local companies connect to foreign firms 
that had established operations in Egypt.  
2.21.  Andreas Maurer of the WTO's International Trade Statistics Section highlighted various 
channels for technology transfer, stressing the importance of technical and managerial personnel. 
He noted that GVCs, which are significant for their unbundling of the knowledge associated with 
different steps of production, were mainly organize d at regional level. Citing the example of Costa 
Rica, he said that imports of R&D services from developing countries had increased. He said that 
trade facilitation, if coupled with the right technical assistance and capacity building, could help 
developing countries entry into GVCs and encourage technology transfer.  
2.6  Session 2.3 - Cluster Policies in Trade and Transfer of Technology. Promoting Trade 
and Transfer of Technology  in the Services Sector 
2.22.  Nagesh Kumar, from UNESCAP, made the case that the roots of India's success in the 
information technology sector lay in the Indian Government's establishment of the Indian Institutes of Technology, which produced many graduates in the computing field. This building of 
human capacity played a key role in helping companies eventually develop outsourcing models 
that have brought in business from around the world. In Nagesh Kumar's view, key components of agglomeration are human resources development together with the establishment of centres of 
excellence that work to address problems, including in the high technology industries. He 
underscored the importance of clustering as a component of services sector development, particularly in the IT sector. He also stressed that R&D activities needed to be set up close to big centres of excellence, so that companies can benefit from interaction with their peers. 
2.23.  Nick Ashton-Hart, from the Internet & Digital Ecosystem Alliance (IDEA), pointed to the 
internet's role in facilitating exports, particularly by SMEs, which could connect to international customers over sites such as eBay. Mr. Ashton-Hart noted that trade barriers in several 
technology-related sectors were often regulatory in nature, and suggested that they should come 
under the rubric of trade facilitation. He suggested that a session of the WGTTT could discuss "trade facilitation and transfer of technology". He also cautioned against neglecting the private 
sector when considering these issues. 
2.24.  Ruben Schellingerhout, from the Europe an Commission's Directorate-General Trade, 
stressed that innovation-related policies should be cluster-specific, emphasising the importance of bringing people together and establishing networ ks. Citing the example of Europe, he underlined 
the importance of identifying existing clusters as well as what was happening in trading partners' 
economies. Based on EU practice, he suggested th e creation of regional-level observatories to WT/WGTTT/W/23 
 
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  compile information. The EU experience indicated that successful innovation-related cluster policies 
included the need to put together information, to  identify whom to work with, identify different 
possibilities and facilitate the process of getting to know each other. 
3  DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS 
3.1.  Most sessions were marked by an active discussion following the presentations. Among the 
clear themes that emerged from the debate, ther e was broad agreement that technology transfer 
remains a key determinant of increased labour productivity, and thus of economic growth and 
development. Trade was seen as an important fact o r  i n  t e c h n o l o g y  t r a n s f e r  p r o c e s s ,  b ot h  a s  a 
direct vehicle for transfer of technology in th e shape of imports of machinery, equipment, and 
services, and less directly, through FDI, licensing, NEMs of production, GVCs, and temporary labour movement, including through GATS Mode 4. 
3.2.  Speakers expressed the view that GVCs, in many industries and across countries, can foster 
innovation, learning and technological upgrading in developing country firms. They emphasised the importance of services and trade facilitation measures to bolstering GVC-oriented investment and 
consequently technology transfer. 
3.3.  While trade agreements were seen as pote ntially encouraging technology transfer, not least 
by reducing policy uncertainty, panellists stressed that trade agreements were only one of several 
factors affecting technology transfer. Repeated emphasis was laid on the importance of education 
and the availability of skilled human resour ces and appropriate institutional and policy 
environments in the host country, for both the tr ansfer and absorption/adaptation of technology. 
Participants highlighted the role of R&D institutions and knowledge centres in fostering technology 
and innovation. They stressed the importance of li nking education and research institutions to IP 
offices and other market actors to translate research into commercially significant innovation as well as to encourage R&D-oriented investment in their own countries.  
3.4.  Despite the generally positive light in wh ich trade agreements were viewed, some questions 
were raised about the TRIPS Agreement, in light of countries' heterogeneous levels of development, and/or potential tensions with the pursuit of collective objectives such as 
environmental protection. That said, it was note d that even though developed countries own the 
bulk of technology, countries can reach a high level of prosperity as either net exporters or importers of technology – even the EU as a whole is a net payer of IP royalties. What remains important is that a country be able to acquire the technology it needs and apply it appropriately. 
One speaker noted that the TRIMS Agreement ruled out several performance requirements that 
developed and developing countries had used in the past to induce technology transfer – he also raised the possibility of negotiating a new agreement on trade and transfer of technology.  
3.5.  Some contrasting views were heard during the workshop, notably on whether requirements 
for technology transfer, say for emissions-saving technologies, could reduce the sum total of innovation globally by diminishing Schumpeterian rewards for taking on the risks inherent to 
attempting to invent something. Nevertheless,  speakers seemed to broadly agree on the 
desirability of investment promotion and skills-enhancement programmes that can create a supportive environment for technology transfer. 
3.6.  Speakers noted that the poorest countrie s seem to not have benefitted from technology 
transfer, and said that technology transfer to LD Cs could be improved by providing better funding 
opportunities to investment in technology adaptation and by fostering linkages between developed and developing country research institutions. 
3.7.  Additional points were made about how enab ling developing country firms to use the internet 
to drive their participation in trade could itself be seen as a form of technology transfer. Moreover, it was noted that businesses that operate online take part in trade in higher numbers, and have a 
higher survival rate, than those that do not. The successes of some countries in using ICT to boost 
economic growth and development can and indeed have been emulated in other developing countries. A call was also made for the mapping of potential business clusters in developing countries, so as to help investment and technology transfer activities yield the highest dividends. WT/WGTTT/W/23 
 
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  3.8.  Overall, the workshop provided a useful op portunity to listen to some high-quality views and 
thoughts from the experts/academics from across  the globe on various elements of innovation, 
technology and its transfer debate. Members expr essed the hope that the deliberations in the 
workshop would facilitate a better understanding of the complex relationship between trade and 
transfer of technology and consequently contribu te to fulfilment of the mandate of the Working 
Group.  
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ANNEX 1 - PROGRAMME 
WORKSHOP ON TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY 
MONDAY 16 JUNE 2014 IN ROOM W 
10.00 – 10.15 Welcome Address by DDG Mr. Yonov Frederick AGAH  
 
SESSION 1:  INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMMES 
 
10.15 – 11.15   1.1 Trade and technology transfer for sustainable development and new 
trends in transfer of technology cooperation 
 
Knowledge is now a key strategic resource for national economic development. 
Technology and innovation are recognized as crucial means towards sustainable development and shared prosperity.  The impact of technological improvement on 
economic growth and development results from a complex long-term process 
involving a number of factors and the interaction of actors both at the national and international levels.  In this context the role of international institutions, as 
well as the bridging function of governments in linking businesses, academia, 
research and development institutes cannot be overemphasized.  The panelists will look at how trade and the transfer of technology can contribute to economic development and environmental prot ection, and discuss new trends in 
international cooperation on technology transfer. 
 
Moderator: H. E. Mr. Remigi WINZAP (Switzerland) 
 
Panelists:  
 
 Mr. Frédérick BORDRY, Director for Accelerators and Technology, CERN 
(European Council for Nuclear Research) 
 Mr. Pedro ROFFE, Senior Associate, Innovation, Technology and IP – 
International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) 
 Mr. Joachim MONKELBAAN, Senior Consultant, United Nations Environment 
Programme (UNEP)  
 
11.15 – 12.00 
 1.2 Technological and R&D institutions activities related to trade and 
technology transfer 
 Research and Development play a crucial role in innovation, technology 
generation and its end use by firms. Academia, research institutions, the private 
sector and the governments need to work hand in glove to promote innovation and technological initiatives to keep indu stry and the productive sectors in step 
with highly demanding global markets. The role of intergovernmental 
organizations and research institutes in this regard will be the focus of discussion 
in this segment.  
Moderator: H.E. Mr. Gabriel DUQUE (Colombia) 
 
Panelists:  
 
 Mr. Yax CANOSSA HUMBERSTONE, Direct or for Innovation and Quality, 
Ministry of Economy, El Salvador 
 Mr. Hubert ESCAITH, Chief Statistician, Economic Research and Statistics 
Division, WTO 
 
12.00 – 13.00 
 
 1.3 International agreements and their impact on trade and technology 
transfer  
 
A number of regional arrangements (such as NAFTA) as well as international treaties and agreements contain guidelines  or provisions on technology transfer 
(WTO TRIPS Agreement, OECD Guidelines, etc.). What impact do these WT/WGTTT/W/23 
 
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  instruments have on actual flows of technology to developing countries, and on 
their trade opportunities, competitiveness, job creation and economic development? This segment will consider whether these international obligations 
and guidelines provide an effective framework for unhampered flows of 
technology to those who need it to pursue development goals.  
Moderator: H.E. Mr. Abdul HANNAN (Bangladesh) 
 
Panelists:  
 
 Ms. Hiroko YAMANE, Professor emeritus, National Graduate Institute for 
Policy Studies, Japan 
 Mr. Keith E. MASKUS, Professor - Arts and Sciences Professor of Distinction, 
University of Colorado in Boulder, USA 
 Mr. Juan Julio GUTIÉRREZ , Director for Policy and Planning - 
CONCYTEC/Peru 
 Ms. Jayashree WATAL, Counselor Intellectual Property Division  - WTO 
  
13.00 – 15.00 Lunch break  
  
SESSION 2:  CREATING ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR TRADE AND TRANSFER OF 
TECHNOLOGY 
 
15.00 – 16.00 2.1 Host and home countries condit ions for trade and transfer of 
technology  
 Technological upgrading is a long-term process, involving a number of actors both 
in the host and the home country. Policies at every step of the technology transfer 
process can be of crucial importance. Part  of this segment of the workshop will 
focus on home country measures aimed at promoting technology generation and incentivizing firms to build bridges with developing country firms resulting in the 
transfer of knowledge technical knowho w. The remainder of the session will 
examine the other side of the coin, namely the enabling environment (investment, trade, tax regimes) and the absorptive capacity (technical 
knowledge, skill and educations of workers) of host countries. 
 
Moderator: Mr. François RIEGERT (France) 
 
Panelists:  
 
 Mr. Robert D. ATKINSON – President, Information Technology and 
Innovation Foundation, USA 
 Mr. Nagesh KUMAR, Head - UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia 
and the Pacific (UNESCAP) South and South-West Asia Office 
 Mr. Xiang Yang GE –Partner, Head of Projects, China - Mayer Brown JSM, 
China 
 Mr. Michael LIM, Economist, Division  on Technology and Logistics, UN 
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)  
 
16.00 – 17.00 
 2.2 How global and regional value chains, the FDI and non-equity modes 
of international production impact on  trade and transfer of technology? 
Some national experiences. 
 
Inflows of foreign direct investment have long been accompanied by new technologies, though the extent to which these spill over to domestic firms has 
been the subject of debate. The "unbundling"  of industrial production, resulting in 
the rise of global value chains that often do not involve foreign ownership, has created new opportunities – and challenges – for technological upgrading. This 
session will look at countries' experiences with global and regional value chains 
and technology transfer.  WT/WGTTT/W/23 
 
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  Moderator: H.E. Mr. John OTACHI KAKONGE (Kenya) 
 
Panelists:  
 
 Mr. Mahmoud ELGARF, First Undersecretary, Head of Technology & 
Industrial Development Sector, Ministry of Trade, Industry & Investment, 
Egypt 
 Mr. Andreas MAURER, Chief of Section, International Trade Statistics 
Section, WTO 
 
17.00 – 18.00 2.3 Cluster Policies and their role for trade and trade and transfer of 
technology. Promoting trade and transf er of technology in the services 
sector. 
 This segment will consider policies fo r promoting the development of business 
clusters and their relationship with trade and technology transfer. It will also 
examine policies aimed at promoting technolo gy transfer linked to services trade. 
 
Moderator: H.E. Dr. Abdolazeez S. AL-O TAIBI, Chairperson of the Working Group 
on Trade and Transfer of Technology (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) 
 
Panelists:  
 
 Mr. Nagesh KUMAR, Head - UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia 
and the Pacific (UNESCAP) South and South-West Asia Office 
 Mr. Nick ASHTON-HART – Executive Director, Internet & Digital Ecosystem 
Alliance (IDEA)  
 Mr. Ruben SCHELLINGERHOUT, Policy Officer, Intellectual Property and 
Public Procurement, Directorate-General Trade, European Commission 
 
 
  
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