Interaction between technology standardization and technology development: a coupling effect study

Technology standardization and technology development interact intimately. Understanding these interactions is fundamental to being able to seek the right solutions to questions about stimulating the advance of science and technology. After analyzing the impact that technology standardization and technology development have on each other, this paper asserts that coupling effects exist between technology standardization and technology development. A coupling model is proposed to examine the mechanism of the interaction between technology standardization and technology development. A seven-level scale for measuring coupling degrees is developed, as well. Furthermore, data from 38 industries in China are collected, in order to validate the proposed model. The newly developed scale is adopted to measure the degree of coupling in the selected industries. Finally, these industries are categorized into three groups based on their coupling degree values. Strategies about how to improve the coupling effects between technology standardization and technology development for each category are provided.