Policies for Promoting Technological Catch Up: A Post-Washington Approach

This paper analyzes the evolution of policies for technology catch-up through three periods: the import-substitution period, the (augmented) Washington Consensus period and the post-Washington period. We analyze the dominant policy models and practices in each of these periods as co-evolving with the dominant academic ideas, thereby changing the conditions for catching up. We develop several dimensions or building blocks that characterize the policies for technology catch-up. These dimensions are used to characterize each of the three policy periods with the objective of outlining the generic features of an emerging post- Washington approach to technology catch-up policies in relation to past approaches.