A comparative study of Chinese and Iranian Science & Technology, and techno-industrial development policies

- Technological catch-up and industrial policy.
- Comparative S&T policy-making systems in China and Iran.
- China government as a developmental state.
- Iranian government as a market-friendly state.

This paper argues that for rapid technological catch-up of latecomer economies industrial policy, active control, and guidance of the market by the state are required. In this framework, the paper compares science and technology, as well as industrial policymaking mechanisms of China and Iran. The similarity of recent histories of the countries, which may have led to similar institutional transformations, makes such a comparative analysis meaningful. The study describes S&T and industrial policy-making systems of the countries, uses a case study for each to assess the degree of effectiveness of the states in assisting the technological learning of the enterprises in their respective countries, and delineates differences and similarities between the two policy-making systems.The study concludes that Chinese government is actively involved in assisting the state-owned and other enterprises in gaining technological capabilities, and thus is acting as a developmental state. On the other hand, I find that the state's efforts in Iran in technological learning are mostly in the realm of S&T policy making. The role of the state in Iran in this regard can best be characterized as market-friendly since it has no centralized, active, and direct involvement in the techno-economic development of the enterprises.