I disagree with the idea that authoritarianism inhibits technological innovation.

Authoritarianism certainly inhibits free inquiry in many fields. And the absence of a free press will always encourage official corruption. But scientific and technological innovation is different. It requires individual focus and a sense of national purpose. A command economy will encourage any decisive innovation that is self-evidently in the national interest (as it also discourages publicizing failures!). The CCP has so far proven very adept at identifying long-term needs and putting resources into those areas of scientific and technological innovation (and resource-gathering, i.e. B&R) that will aid economic development.