Authors

Discussion

Multilevel interaction and transnational transfer of knowledge between the East and West was active during the Cold War (Autio-Sarasmo and Miklóssy, 2011/2013). The Soviet Union was active in East-West interaction with the aim to transfer knowledge, technology and related knowhow to enhance the modernization of the Soviet economy. The need of the western knowledge was supplied through the network of bilateral connections under the system of scientific-technical cooperation (STC) administered by State Committee of Science and Technology (GKNT). The aim of the knowledge transfer was to boost domestic innovations but at the end the outcome proved to be very modest. The outcome was not as expected since the actual network of scientific-technical cooperation was very functional. The paper focuses on the role of transnational knowledge transfer process in the Soviet STC by analyzing how knowledge was instrumentalized and diffused in the Soviet Union. The Soviet knowledge transfer from the West is approached through the case study of neutral Finland which was the first country to sign STC agreement with the Soviet Union.