|
Tech Monitor ( July-August 2000 ) |
| Investment and Technology Promotion Network |
| nvestment Promotion and Institutional
Capacity-Building Division United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna International Center P. O. Box 300, A-1400, Vienna, Austria Tel: (+43-1)260-26-0, Fax: (+43-1)2692669 E-mail: unido@unido.org Website: http://www.unido.org Even purists must admit that effective investment and technology promotion and by the same token technology development and transfer boils down to the financing of projects. While technology may be a core catalyst for development, financing is at the heart of economic growth. In recognition of the above and of the intrinsic linkage between investment and technology UNIDO set up an Investment and Technology Promotion Network (IITPN), which links all industrial stakeholders while expanding the outreach of the organization's constituency to financial institutions. Accordingly, members of UNIDO's network will be in permanent contact with numerous, selected actors along the entire investment and technology promotion cycle. ITPN proposes a dynamic web-based platform, which serves as an open forum for communication, exchanges and linkages among members, as well as a virtual marketplace for services, especially in the field of investment and technology promotion, with a clear emphasis on environmentally friendly solutions. As far as international financing for technology development and transfer is concerned, the Network offers a unique win-win situation. ITPN gives technology-related institutions a tremendous opportunity to be effectively linked and integrated, for the first time ever, in the flow of business development. Through the Network, technology centres, R&D institutions and academia at large have an electronic window to promote their work and to establish appropriate linkages towards its commercial utilization. On the one hand, technology providers can promote their projects, assisted in their endeavour by UNIDO's expertise and experience. On the other hand, financial institutions will save time and resources when selecting projects to be financed, as the projects presented to them through the Network have all been previously authoritatively screened and validated by the United Nation's specialist agency in industrial development. Additionally, ITPN provides opportunities for
developing countries to benefit from the development of e-commerce. ITPN
thus bridges the information gap between developed an developing countries,
ultimately aiming at integrating developing countries in the "new
economy", for the mutual benefit of both developed and developing
countries. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand from the majority of the country's industrial sector and have been the principal driving force behind its economic development. Recognizing their importance for the economic growth of the country, the Thai government in 1999 provided a series of financial packages for their all-round development. The article discusses the Thai government's financial support to them. Mr. Pongpanu Svetarundra |