ABSTRACT
Intermediate Technology was formulated as a specific response to the problems of the South, and many of the problems of technological dependency, technology transfer, technology choice, and technological underdevelopment and technological non-competitiveness, as discussed in the burgeoning technology studies literature, are most severe in countries of the South. This has meant that the bulk of the Appropriate Technology literature is predominantly concerned with the South - a fact which appears neither surprising nor unreasonable given the close connections between Appropriate Technology and Intermediate Technology. Empirical evidence indicates that, with judicious choice of technology, small industry may be equally or more competitive than large industry. The role of multinational business institutions as instigators or catalysts for technology-related economic inequity is debated with some intensity, with calls ensuing for increased technological independence by the poorer nations, or at least mutual interdependence. The political goal of enhanced equity within nations has been an entry point for many into the field of Appropriate Technology.
