By Ma Mingjie　

Date: 2004/10/26

Abstract:   

The concept of general-purpose technology is closely related to policy making, which is influenced by the level of economic and technology development. The commonly accepted definition covers three areas: the development phase, the impact, and the coverage of the general purpose technology in question. The general-purpose technology is different by nature from ordinary industrial technology in funding and organization. It is primarily different from critical technology, competitive technology and practical research.