In natural resource-related industries, such as agriculture, this ‘non-imitative’ technological catch-up process appears to occur with greater frequency than has been documented by researchers. Because of specific local conditions of soil, climate and disease, knowledge from frontier countries is not always suitable. Consequently, as latecomers are constrained in simply copying certain existing technologies, they must create technologies suitable to their national needs. Indigenous public research organisations play a fundamental role in this catch-up process