Abstract
Technology transfer is a topic that has received wide attention in recent years, especially with regard to Soviet attempts to obtain technologies from the West that are considered to be sensitive in terms of western security. The effects such transfers have, however, are not always those that would be expected and in many cases have not resulted in the ends that the Soviets hoped to achieve. This paper seeks to examine the true nature and effect of technology transfers between the West and the Soviet Union in the area of computers, especially duing the period from 1985 to the present. It is argued that while such transfers have not been effective in the past, changes in the Soviet Union's approach to the acquisition and integration of foreign technology, under the program of economic reform now taking place, will increase the effectiveness of these efforts in the future. Based on the results of this case study, it is concluded that the current western approach to export control needs to be re-evaluated in light of these new circumstances, if the policy of restricting such transfers is to remain viable.