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Economic nature and patterns of technological change

https://doi.org/10.21122/2309-6667-2026-23-4-16

Abstract

   This paper examines the substantive nature of technological change, which is not only a consequence of the desire to improve the means of production but also of scientific knowledge, which opens up new possibilities in the field of production methods.

   The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the fundamental patterns of technological development from and "economics of technology" as a new scientific field.

   Unlike orthodox economic schools, which primarily determine only the aggregate impact of technologies on the product being created, the objective of this field is to identify the specific patterns generated by technological change. The methodology is based on the theory of institutional and technological change, "the economics of technology" as a modern scientific field developed by the Russian school of economics, and taxonomic and empirical analysis. Its application has allowed us, on the one hand, to highlight the autonomous nature of technological development, defined by the horizon of basic sciences that open up possibilities for creating production methods and influencing certain objects over a given period of time. Furthermore, technology generates a number of unique effects that also have independent significance for economic development, including the "combinatorial accretion" effect, "technological dualism," the "productivity paradox," "rapid industrial change," and the low sensitivity of technological growth to investment in new technologies. These special effects differ at the macroeconomic and microeconomic levels, making classical performance assessment criteria inappropriate. Therefore, the field of technological change, which is highly heterogeneous and has sectoral specificities even in the dissemination of widely applicable technologies, requires a differentiated approach when developing technology policy measures. The results confirm the inverse relationship between productivity and technological advancement for Russia. This necessitates the verification of current economic development policies against the goals of the National Projects already adopted for implementation and additional objectives to ensure technological sovereignty through technological innovation.

About the Author

O. S. Sukharev
Institute of Economics, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation

Oleg S. Sukharev, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher

117218; Nakhimovsky Ave., 32; Moscow



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Sukharev O.S. Economic nature and patterns of technological change. Economic Science Today. 2026;(23):4-16. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21122/2309-6667-2026-23-4-16

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