Modeling Technology Diffusion to Integrate Medium Scale Clustered Manufacturing Industries Development
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Date
2018-07-16
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AAU
Abstract
Development of manufacturing industries is an ever-growing concern for Ethiopian government. Medium
scale clustered manufacturing industries are given more focus with an intension of substituting the
domestic market with a quality local products and for the export market. Technological advancement of
the manufacturing process is a critical landmark for these industries to be competitive. Adoption and
diffusion of technologies inside the cluster is quite limited. Lack of technical knowhow and appropriate
technology is the major constraint for industries development. This is due to low access of cooperation
with supporting organizations (research institutions, industry extension, universities and financial
institutions), lack of internal integration (inside the cluster) and the policy to get a loan. On literatures
regarding technology diffusion models less emphasis is given for the concept of cooperation and
integration. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to develop technology diffusion model that
considers driving factors for accelerated adoption and diffusion of technology in industrial cluster in order
to enhance integrated development.
This research used both qualitative and quantitative methods and a combination of both primary and
secondary sources of data. The research conducts an extensive literature review of technology diffusion
models, industrial clusters and integration of industrial clusters. Under eight manufacturing subsectors,
Leather and leather goods subsector is selected using weighting factor analysis by considering different
selection criterions. Ethio-international foot wear clusters cooperative society Ltd is taken as a case.
Primary and secondary data were collected from enterprises, research institutions, learning institutions,
financial institutions and regulatory offices.
From the primary and secondary data sources, internal and external factors affecting technology adoption
and diffusion in industrial clusters are identified and prioritized using AHP. BASS diffusion model is
implemented to understand the existing rate of technology diffusion in the cluster taking sample
technology, Heavy duty stitching machine. Based on the prioritized factors, agent based model of
technology diffusion is developed which includes Fuzziness on the adoption decision, a model which is
the first of its kind for industrial clusters in Ethiopia. In order to validate the model, the existing diffusion
pattern of the machine is simulated and an experiment of three scenarios are made on NETLOGO. As
compared to the result obtained from Bass model, the simulation result shows reduced rate, from 6 years
to 4 years with 100% adoption probability and 3 years with 80% adoption probability. It can, thus, be
argued that external cooperation and internal integration are important technological advancement
opportunities for industries.
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Keywords
Technology Diffusion, Industrial Cluster, Integration, Agent Based Model