Technology Policy and Industrial Strategy

Abstract

To some people, the title of this paper may seem pure metaphysics, at least in the British context, which is the one I propose to examine. Many senior British civil servants would claim that they do not know what a technology policy is; and several of them have denied to me, in private at least, that Britain has an industrial strategy. However, two reasons persuade me that the issues are real ones. Firstly, the absence of positive and concerted policy measures does not mean that there is no policy—for just as laissez-faire is a policy² so too is the system that Christopher Freeman (1974) has called laissez-innover. In any case, the British government has spent very great sums of money on technology, in terms of technical education and support for R and D. Hence the issue is not whether there is or was a policy, but rather whether it has been consistent and effective. Secondly, I feel the issues are legitimate because the problems that these policies are concerned with are increasing in importance.