Question

There could be significant challenges and hurdles when deploying new technology globally. This can take the form of both political and regulatory dimensions. These types of obstacles can vary significantly, especially when introducing technology in different countries and cultures. Explain the political and regulatory implications on technology and how they can be managed when globally deploying new applications. Site a source.

Answer 1

Today, technology breaks frontiers in all corners of the globe. Be it in North America, Asia Pacific,Europe and Russia or India and China investment in technology research and development is paying dividends. In the developed economies, an inertia associated with legacy investments in assets is acting as a brake, whilst in rapidly growing emerging markets leap frogging technology is enabling a faster pace of new technology adoption. Globalization of technology means that 20th century economic advantages and powerbase structures are being rapidly removed. The internet and the world-wide-web is a great knowledge leveler. Businesses large or small, long established or just born are all equal in the cyber world of RSS feeds, electronic mail, e-commerce, web portals and Google hits.

But what are the new horizons with globalization of technology? Today we cannot isolate engineering and technology from the world of business and commerce, law and contracts, culture and religion, language and literacy, well being and wealth. We are all under pressure to seek competitive advantage at a local, regional, national and international level to maintain status, earn income, live life and sustain future generations. Thus it is imperative that engineers and technologists understand human factors, economics, culture and societies to become creative and innovative in the 21st century.

Globalization of technology has been instrumental in wealth creation activity in emerging markets. Equally, union activity in mature economies highlights the concerns of the migration of skilled jobs to emerging markets. Protectionism is a growing concern, not just for preserving employment and safeguarding GDP but also the post 9/11 era introduces the new dimension of personal and national security.