Notes on Development, Innovation and International Competition

Abstract

This paper explores the debate on development and technological dependence from the world-system political economy perspective. It presents some reflections on theories of development with the intention of strengthening the view that the assimilation of technology is a critical component of catching-up to developing productive forces and capital accumulation in national economies. In this sense it is in the field of innovation cycles and expansion of technical change capabilities that the competition for the hierarchy and leadership of the international system is structured.