Japan's Growing Technological Capability

Implications for the U.S. Economy

Author: Harris, Martha Caldwell; Graham, Edward M.; Bergsten, C. Fred; Arrison, Thomas S.
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309047807
eISBN Pdf: 9780309584814
Place of publication: United States
Year of digital publication: 1992
Month: January
Pages: 244
Language: English

Caption

The perspectives of technologists, economists, and policymakers are brought together in this volume. It includes chapters dealing with approaches to assessment of technology leadership in the United States and Japan, an evaluation of future impacts of eroding U.S. technological preeminence, an analysis of the changing nature of technology-based global competition, and a discussion of policy options for the United States.

Japan's Growing Technological Capability
Copyright
Preface
Contents
Japan's Growing Technological Capability and Implications for the U.S. Economy: an Overview
- CONTEXT
- ASSESSMENTS OF U.S. AND JAPANESE TECHNOLOGICAL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
- ECONOMIC IMPACTS AND IMPLICATIONS
- FUTURE OF COMPETITION
- POLICY IMPLICATIONS
I ASSESSMENTS OF U.S. AND JAPANESE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
- Technology Assessment in the U.S.-Japan Context
  - INTRODUCTION
  - JAPANESE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
  - METHODOLOGY OF ASSESSMENTS
  - LESSONS LEARNED
  - JOINT VENTURES
  - LICENSING-JAPANESE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO THE UNITED STATES
- What Can We Learn from Technology Assessment?
  - EXPECTATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT?
  - ILLUSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
  - TECHNICAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
    - Assessment of Product Performance
    - Assessment of Production Processes
    - Research and Development Potential
    - Infrastructure
    - Problems Associated with Methodology
  - OUTLINE OF THE TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PROJECT CONDUCTED BY MITI FOR THE WHITE PAPER ON INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY (1988)
  - OBJECTIVES OF THE ONGOING SURVEY FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE NEXT WHITE PAPER ON INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
  - POLICY IMPLICATIONS
- Accessing Japanese Technology: Experiences of a U.S.-Based Company
  - INTRODUCTION
  - OVERALL CHARACTERIZATION OF JAPANESE TECHNOLOGY
  - LOCATION AND EVALUATION
  - GETTING ACCESS
  - CONCERNS
  - RECOMMENDATIONS
- Studies of Japanese Technology: An Effort with Diminishing Returns?
  - THE DECLINE OF U.S. HIGH TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING
  - THE RISE OF STUDIES OF JAPANESE TECHNOLOGY
  - SOME TECHNOLOGICAL HISTORY
  - A VIEW OF TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
  - THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ARGUMENT
  - THE COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION PROCESSING ARGUMENTS
  - THE ROLE OF RESEARCH AND THE ROLE OF INCREMENTALISM
  - SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
II ECONOMIC IMPACTS AND IMPLICATIONS
- Technology, Productivity and the Competitiveness of U.S. and Japanese Industries
  - INTRODUCTION
  - PURCHASING POWER PARITIES
  - RELATIVE PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS
  - CONCLUSION
- Macroeconomic and Schumpetarian Features of Japanese Innovations in the 1980s
  - TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY, R&D AND INNOVATIONS
  - SCHUMPETARIAN FEATURES OF JAPAN'S INNOVATIONS
- The Changing Place of Japan in the Global Scientific and Technological Enterprise
  - INTRODUCTION
  - JAPAN'S CHANGING TECHNOLOGICAL POSITION, 1960-1990
  - U.S. FIRMS' GROWING LINKS WITH THE JAPANESE R&D SYSTEM
    - Foreign Patenting and R&D Activity in Japan
    - Japanese R&D Activity in the United States
    - "Strategic Alliances" Between Japanese and Foreign Firms
  - CONCLUSION
- Implications of Japan's "Soft Crisis": Forcing New Directions for Japanese Electronics Companies
  - INTRODUCTION
  - PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THE JAPANESE SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INDUSTRY
    - Description of the "Soft Crisis"
    - Shortcomings of the Japanese Educational System
  - RESPONSES OF JAPANESE FIRMS TO THE SOFT CRISIS
  - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES
III THE FUTURE OF COMPETITION
- Japan's Unique Capability to Innovate: Technology Fusion and its International Implications
  - JAPAN'S UNIQUE INNOVATION CAPABILITY
    - Mechatronics: A Key to Japan's Industrial Strength in the Past
    - Optoelectronics: An Emerging Capability
    - Characterization: Technology Fusion
  - NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNOLOGY FUSION
    - Expected Technological Advances
    - New Materials: Designed Materials
    - Biotechnology: Rational Drug Design
  - THE EMERGING TECHNO-PARADIGM
    - Categories of Paradigm Shift
    - Technology Fusion as an Underlying Trend
  - NEW PARADIGM FOR POLICYMAKING
    - Corporate Strategy: New Technical Alliances
    - Government Policy: New Research Consortia
- Japan's Industrial Competitiveness and the Technological Capabilities of the Leading Japanese Firms
  - NATIONAL SYSTEMS OF INNOVATION AND CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERSHIP
  - A MODEL OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS
  - TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND GROWTH IN THE LEADING JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL FIRMS
  - SOME CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ON THE IMPLICATIONS FOR JAPAN'S FUTURE TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETITIVENESS
- Japanese Control of R&D Activities in the United States: Is This Cause for Concern?
  - INTRODUCTION
  - THE RISE IN JAPANESE CONTROL OF U.S. R&D
  - JAPANESE-CONTROLLED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES AND U.S. INTERESTS
IV POLICY IMPLICATIONS
- Policy Implications of Japan's Growing Technological Capabilities: Framing the Issues
  - CONVERGENCE
  - SLOW GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES
  - THE ''STRATEGIC" INDUSTRY CONCEPT
  - THE INDUSTRIAL POLICY DISPUTE
  - INTERNATIONALIZATION OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
- Policy Implications for the United States: Comments
- Comments on Policy Implications
  - INTRODUCTION
  - THE U.S. ECONOMY
  - WHY THIS CHANGE FROM THE 1950S?
  - WHAT TO DO?
  - LEARNING FROM OTHERS
  - WHAT ABOUT JAPAN?
  - U.S.-JAPAN RELATIONS
  - CONCLUSIONS
APPENDIXES
- A Contributing Authors
- B Conference on Japan's Growing Technological Capability: Implications for the U.S. Economy