TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY

PHASE I WILL CONSIST OF AN 18 MONTH FEASIBILITY STUDY AND CONTINUOUS EVALUATION TO ESTABLISH A PROTOTYPE MECHANISM FOR TRANSFERRING TECHNOLOGY. ICAITI WILL CONDUCT FINAL DESIGN WORKSHOP FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (TT) PROGRAM AND WILL SELECT A LIMITED NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL SECTORS OR SUBSECTORS WHICH EXHIBIT PROMISE FOR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. ONCE SECTORS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, ICAITI WILL BEGIN TO COLLECT AND PACKAGE INFORMATION RELEVANT TO TT IN THOSE SECTORS. CONSULTANTS WILL BE USED AS REQUIRED. ICAITI, IN RESPONDING TO INDUSTRY NEEDS, WILL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WHEN IT CAN, AND ALSO PROVIDE REFERRAL SERVICES. TWO ICAITI REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE TRAINED BY US CONSULTING FIRMS IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TECHNIQUES AND WILL BE ASSIGNED TO IDENTIFY, GATHER, ADAPT, AND DISTRIBUTE NEEDED TECHNOLOGY TO END USERS. AGENT LOCATED IN EL SALVADOR WILL ALSO COVER NICARAGUA; AGENT FOR COSTA RICA WILL ALSO COVER HONDURAS. ICAITI HEADQUARTERS WILL COVER GUATEMALA. AGENTS WILL DESIGN AND CONDUCT A SURVEY OF PRIVATE FIRMS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, WITH EMPHASIS ON SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES. SURVEY WILL ESTIMATE DEMAND FOR TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER, IDENTIFY POTENTIAL TT CASES, AND PROVIDE INITIAL FEEDBACK ON ICAITI COLLECTION AND PACKAGING OF TT INFORMATION. AGENTS WILL ALSO DETERMINE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGICAL UTILIZATION OF CLIENT AND SUGGEST FUTURE SERVICES. IF PHASE I ACTIVITIES ARE SUCCESSFUL, PROJECT WILL BE EXPANDED, THE NUMBEROF FIELD WORKERS WILL BE INCREASED TO REPRESENT EACH CACM COUNTRY, AND ICAITI AND CONTRACTED BACKUP SUPPORT WILL BE INCREASED. Amendment of 10/16/78 provides additional funding of $905,000 to implement Phase II, the institutionalization of the Technology Transfer Program (TTP). TTP activities will be expanded to all five Central American countries by recruitment and training of two additional field representatives. Monthly contacts will be increased from 40 to 60, and the number of extra-regional technology sources to which ICAITI may refer for specific technologies will be expanded. Special emphasis will be placed on medium and small industries: at least 10 seminars will be held yearly on small industry requirements -- which are expected to reach approximately 200 businessmen. In addition, half of the quotas and targets to be established by ICAITI will consist of contacts and diagnostics for small firms.