ABSTRACT

Given that all the ASEAN economies (with the exception of Singapore) are still preoccupied with efforts to expand their industrial base, their science and technological base is still relatively small, and to a large extent, dependent on many inputs, including investments and expertise from the industrial countries. Like most developing countries, all the ASEAN countries have depended heavily on imported or transferred technologies because these technologies are not only relatively cheap and easy to acquire, but they have been tested and standardized. While the development of indigenous technologies is perceived to be costly and risky, the experience of many countries has shown that the enhancement of such capability requires a mixture of indigenous and imported technologies. As such, S&T development within each of the ASEAN countries is seen in the context of each country's interest, following the main thrust of its own industrial program.