Training engineers for technology transfer

Résumé 0

The main objective of this article is to explore if and how differences in national cultures may have an impact on technology transfer training. Technology transfer involves training a client so that it can become self-sufficient in a market that can also be that of its supplier. Therefore, this type of training takes place in a context of cooperation and competition between the two parties, who can become both partners and competitors. As a consequence, the engineer trainers add technological and commercial dimensions to their pedagogy which can be both complementary and, at times, opposed to each other. As technology transfer training takes place in an international environment, we propose to analyse the links between professional and cultural dimensions from the perspective of French engineers in charge of training Brazilian engineers. Our results show the dilemmas which trainers have to face in trying to combine these professional and cultural dimensions and strategies. Lastly, we explore the perspective of a train-the-trainers course specifically dedicated to technology transfer training in an international context.