Transfer of technology in the nuclear field

Nuclear power is one of those technologies on which the Federal Republic of Germany was able to embark only after many years of delay, compared with other large industrialized countries. The transfer of know-how from friendly nations and international cooperation played vital roles in catching up with this delay. The experience Germany gathered in this process has led to insights, on the one hand, into the necessary preconditions, the structures of collaboration in research and development, and the joint build-up of a nuclear power industry; on the other hand, into the manifold repercussions and interrelations growing out of bilateral cooperation. The experience thus generated now helps Germany in transferring its technologies to other countries. Such transfer is regarded as a common duty of the government, industry, and science. This is exemplified, above all, by the cooperation with Brazil and Iran. These two cases clearly show that the chances of a successful transfer of technology are particularly promising when built on an old established base of continuous relations in the political, economic, scientific and cultural sectors. (orig.)