TMCD is a research centre of Oxford University's Department of International Development (formerly known as Queen Elizabeth House). It is an outgrowth of the ground-breaking work of ODID's world leading development economists including Frances Stewart, Sanjaya Lall, Barbara Harriss-White, Adrian Wood and Valpy FitzGerald in the field of trade/foreign direct investment, technology and competitiveness since 1970s.

In a world of rapid technological advancement, technology is widely regarded as the engine of productivity and economic growth. Technology and management play pivotal roles in the economic growth and social development of non-industralised nations as they struggle to lift their societies out of poverty and claim their share of the world’s bounty. Developing countries can only catch up with the developed world through human capital accumulation and technological progress. International technology transfer and indigenous innovation are two major drivers of technological improvement in developing countries. Those countries able to embrace technological advances are better equipped to move towards a more prosperous future, while those that cannot often collapse or remain stuck in the poverty trap.

A lack of in-depth research into this area has meant that the emerging economies as well as other developing countries have suffered from an absence of the kind of informed counsel and practical models that the highest levels of research can provide, which is crucial for their economic growth. It also means a majority of the countries in the world have been unable to deal more justly with global economic and political relations. In an ever-more tightly inter-woven world of economic and financial interdependence, this could provoke serious repercussions.

The Technology and Management Centre for Development (TMCD) aims to address some of the most important issues related to technology and management facing public and private policymakers today. The Centre also serves as a global nerve centre for cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research into the development of technology and management in the developing world. Its broad research themes include:

• Industrial policy and industrialisation
• Indigenous innovations, technological capabilities and competitiveness
• International technology diffusion
• Innovation policy, strategy and management
• Public, social and inclusive innovations
• Environmental innovation for sustainable development
• International trade, foreign direct investment and economic growth
• Corporate and public management capabilities in developing countries

Read an overview of our centre's research themes and opportunities here