• Acta Geographica Sinica
  • Vol. 75, Issue 6, 1147 (2020)
Jiao'e WANG1、1、2、2、*, Fangye DU1、1、2、2, and Weidong LIU1、1、2、2
Author Affiliations
  • 1. Key Laboratory of Regional Sustainable Development Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China;
  • 1.中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所 中国科学院区域可持续发展分析与模拟重点实验室,北京 100101;
  • 2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • 2.中国科学院大学资源与环境学院,北京 100049
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    DOI: 10.11821/dlxb202006004 Cite this Article
    Jiao'e WANG, Fangye DU, Weidong LIU. Embedded technology transfer from an institutional and cultural perspective: A case study of Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway[J]. Acta Geographica Sinica, 2020, 75(6): 1147 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed, the pace of projects investment and construction has been accelerated, which accumulated much experience in the going-out strategy in the context of BRI. Modern railway projects are characterized by "natural monopoly", as well as huge investment and extensive geographical coverage. Moreover, their construction is a typical transformative project, which embedded the necessary institution and culture. The countries along the Silk Road are characterized by weak institutional construction, lack of regulatory system, and underdeveloped industrial civilization, therefore they cannot operate and manage the railway system. In this context, all links, including financing, design, construction, and operation, should be considered in the going-out process of China's railway system. The transfer subject is the technology-institution-culture nexus which takes railway technology as the core. In other words, to achieve railway technology transfer successfully, the host countries should offer rational institutional guarantee and cultural adaptation. Besides, the technical standard of railway construction, management mode, and industry chain in the process of railway operation and maintenance need to be localized. Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway is a successful going-out case of China's railway technology. Learning from the case, this paper proposed the concept of "embedded technology transfer" and constructed the theoretical model of technology-institution-culture nexus transfer. The results can provide references for the transfer of transformative projects or technologies between countries with different institutions and cultures.
    Jiao'e WANG, Fangye DU, Weidong LIU. Embedded technology transfer from an institutional and cultural perspective: A case study of Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway[J]. Acta Geographica Sinica, 2020, 75(6): 1147
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