Technological advantages (beyond military supremacy) were certainly a factor contributing to the growth of European imperialism in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The impacts of the industrial revolution meant that European production levels far outstripped that of local Asian and African populations, coupled with the development of methodologies such as interchangeable parts, advanced mining techniques etc.

The telegraph was particularly useful in being able to quickly and efficiently respond to crises across vast territories, as was the development of railroads and steam ships (see Niall Ferguson, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power, 2003, and J. R. McNeill and William McNeill, The Human Web: A Bird's-Eye View of World History, 2003). Additionally medical advances (primarily quinine) opened up large parts of Africa to the colonial powers.

One interesting perspective is to look at major non-industrialised powers and how they adapted: Russia and Japan were arguably successful at industrialising (the former through its massive resource potentials, and the latter through leveraging off its educated and disciplined society and ambitious elite), while China and the Ottoman Empire struggled - nb: broad generalisations here.