Technology Development and Stakeholder Influence: The Example of Golden Rice

Technology development and implementation include social processes where various stakeholders voice their interests and concerns: stakeholders influence the process of technological advance in a variety of ways. These interests and concerns, in turn, are shaped by the stakeholders' institutional context. Organisations involved in technological development have to acknowledge and integrate key stakeholders in order to promote the process in a successful way. Important elements of such an engagement are: •Identifying key stakeholders: Mitchel, …

…in and their perception of this application and try to influence its development according to their objectives (Hunck-Meiswinkel 2005). 'Golden Rice' is an ongoing project with technological and market uncertainties, coupled with technology transfer problems. It serves as an outstanding example for the importance of integrating key stakeholders into technological progress. We use the example of 'Golden Rice' to demonstrate the nature and impact of stakeholders' involvement in technological development and the transfer of a technology.