Technology Transfer In Enhancing Technology Capability: A Study Of Sunflower Oilseeds Processing Enteprises In Dodoma Urban And Kongwa Districts

ABSTRACT

The sunflower oilseed processing enterprises survey assessed the role of oilseeds processing technology transfer in enhancing local technology capabilities. The specific objectives aimed to identify existing level of technology capability among the local R&D organizations and the enterprises processing sunflower oilseeds in Dodoma urban and Kongwa districts, to identify the kind of technology transfer to the local R&D organizations and the enterprises processing sunflower oilseeds and to identify factors that impede enhancement of technology capability to the recipients.

The study adopted across-sectional research design whereby data were collected at a single point in time. Generally, the study covered 49 enterprises processing sunflower oilseeds. From each of these enterprises, respondents were selected, the owner of the enterprises and a technician employed in the enterprises.

All the enterprises surveyed seemed to use imported machines for sunflower oilseeds processing. Existing local manufacturers of the machines are only training and R&D institutions and they manufacture machines not focusing on commercialization.

It was recommended that, the technical workforce in the enterprises processing sunflower oilseeds be supported to upgrade their technical knowledge, since building technology capability and innovation requires competitive technical knowledge and skills. The government can support in a number of ways such as, upgrading and modernizing existing training and R&D infrastructure by equipping them with technically competitive workforce, providing adequate fund to support training and R&D activities, as well as providing overseas scholarship to existing workforce to enable them acquire technical knowledge.