Abstract How do technologies develop? This study proposes the theory of technological parasitism that is based on the idea that parasite-host relationships between technologies and technologies with a high number of technological parasites have an accelerated evolution driven by long-run mutualistic symbioses, providing the basis for extensive macroevolution and adaptive behavior of systems of interactive technologies in markets. This theory may be useful for bringing a new perspective to explain and generalize the evolution of technology directed to sustain competitive advantage of firms and nations. In particular, technological parasitism explains the relationship of mutualistic symbiosis between a host (or master) technology and inter-related technologies to satisfy needs and/or to solve consequential problems of socioeconomic subjects over time. To explore the potential of adopting a theory of technological parasitism and to predict which technologies are likeliest to evolve rapidly, this study implements a theoretical test based on a computational agent-based model developed from these concepts and a empirical test based on historical data on the evolution of four example technologies (aircraft, tractor, locomotive and bicycle technology). Computational and empirical evidence are broadly consistent with the theoretical expectation that host (or master) technologies with many associated parasitic technologies advance rapidly, whereas master technologies with fewer parasitic technologies improve slowly. The proposed theory has a demonstrated capacity to explain relationships between technologies in complex systems that clarify the driving forces of the evolution of technology in markets. The finding of this study could aid management of firms and innovation strategy of nations to implement best practices of product/process design and development for supporting R&D of technologies that are likely to evolve rapidly, sustaining and safeguarding competitive advantage. Overall, then, this study, for the first time to our knowledge, begins the process of clarifying and generalizing, as far as possible, the role of long-run coevolution between host and parasitic technologies in complex systems, suggesting fruitful implications for innovation management. markets. This conceptual scheme here is especially relevant in Schumpeterian markets with innovation-based competition to explain a major source of technological evolution and success, the parasite-host relationships between technologies. Finally, this theory here suggests a new direction for the development of more sophisticated concepts and theoretical frameworks to explain technological and industrial change in economic systems.

中文翻译：

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技术进化理论：技术寄生及其对创新管理的影响

摘要 技术如何发展？本研究提出了技术寄生理论，该理论基于技术与大量技术寄生之间的寄生宿主关系在长期互惠共生的驱动下加速进化的思想，为广泛的宏观进化和适应性提供了基础。交互技术系统在市场中的行为。该理论可能有助于带来新的视角来解释和概括旨在维持公司和国家竞争优势的技术演变。特别是，技术寄生解释了宿主（或主）技术和相互关联的技术之间的互利共生关系，以满足社会经济主体的需求和/或解决随之而来的社会经济问题。为了探索采用技术寄生理论的潜力并预测哪些技术最有可能迅速发展，本研究实施了基于从这些概念发展而来的基于计算代理的模型的理论测试和基于历史数据的实证测试。四种示例技术（飞机、拖拉机、机车和自行车技术）的演变。计算和经验证据与理论预期大体一致，即具有许多相关寄生技术的宿主（或主控）技术迅速发展，而寄生技术较少的主技术进步缓慢。所提出的理论具有解释复杂系统中技术之间关系的能力，这些关系阐明了市场技术演变的驱动力。这项研究的发现可以帮助企业管理和国家创新战略实施产品/流程设计和开发的最佳实践，以支持可能快速发展的技术研发，维持和维护竞争优势。总的来说，这项研究，据我们所知，首次开始尽可能阐明和概括复杂系统中宿主和寄生技术之间长期协同进化的作用，这对创新管理提出了富有成效的影响。 . 市场。此处的概念方案与基于创新的竞争的熊彼特市场尤其相关，以解释技术进化和成功的主要来源，即技术之间的寄生虫-宿主关系。最后，这里的这一理论为发展更复杂的概念和理论框架以解释经济系统中的技术和工业变化提出了新的方向。