Environmental technology transfer: A case study of Quebec environmental firms in China

As developing countries have grown aware of the effects of pollution and resource depletion, industrialized countries that produce environmental goods and services have secured new markets where to export them. In this manner, increased concerns over environmental degradation have led to the growth of the green technology sector which is currently in full expansion. The purpose of the thesis is, therefore, to uncover the dynamics of such exchanges by exploring the interactions of Quebec environmental firms in the People's Republic of China (PRC).; Results indicate that the PRC presents accommodative structures that are compatible with those found in Quebec, but an inappropriate level of protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs). This scenario gives the PRC a certain advantage since most local firms are able to reproduce foreign technologies without being constrained by issues of intellectual property. Combining theoretical and practical approaches, the thesis uncovers that accommodative conditions do not supersede the question of IPRs when attempting to ensure transfers. Even though the current state of these factors affects the nature of the agreements, the environmental aspect of these technologies seems to facilitate the transactions.