Contrasting strategies are pursued by big three economicpowerhouses

The approach taken by each of the big three economic powerhouses, Germany, Japan, and the United States, to high-technology development is considered, focusing on the lessons that the US can learn from the other two. Government activities in the US at the state and federal levels are discussed. German research strategies are described in the context of the European Community (EC) and the major multinational research programs the EC has established. Japanese plans to increase funding for basic research are examined     

Competing in a global economy

The approaches to global competition adopted by Japan, West Germany, and to the US are examined. In Japan several government institutions assist in developing a strategic vision in science and technology. Foremost is Japan's Council for Science and Technology, which promotes a comprehensive national policy. The Science and Technology Agency (STA), consuming about a quarter of Government R&D, funds research, oversees a worldwide collection of science and engineering publications, and directs a technology transfer corporation. West Germany has developed its R&D policy within a broader European context. Some 12% of the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT) budget goes toward international organizations. In the US more than 700 federally funded laboratories spend one-third of the Government's R&D funds and employ more than one-sixth of US scientists and engineers. Issues related to capital costs and to education in all the countries are examined     

Engineers and engineering in the US and Japan: a critical review ofthe literature and suggestions for a new research agenda

Researchers have identified a number of interesting differences between engineers and the practice of engineering in Japan and the US (and, to a lesser extent, other countries). They have found that: Japan graduates more engineers per capita than the US; Japanese engineers seem to stay in the practice of engineering longer than their US counterparts; Japanese firms perform more of the post bachelor degree level education and training of engineers than US firms; Japanese universities seem to emphasize teamwork more and business education less than US universities; Japanese firms have less rigid job boundaries than US firms; high performing Japanese firms have more overlap between functions and have developed distinctive ways of handling new product development such as the use of heavy weight project managers. On the other hand, empirical studies so far do not seem to show that "culture" has made much difference in the practice of engineering between the US and Japan. This paper reviews these findings and the implications that have been drawn from them. It goes on to suggest that while this research has provided many useful ideas and models for US managers, in other areas it has stopped short of examining the consequences of what has been found. The result has been the loss of opportunities for policy makers, educators, managers, and social theorists     

Who's ahead in hi-tech?

Responses of 150 IEEE members to a telephone survey sponsored by Nihon Keizai Shimbun, a Japanese counterpart to The Wall Street Journal, are reported. The interviews were conducted by the Gallup Organization Incorporated. The respondents-50 each from government, industrial, and academic facilities-answered more than two dozen questions, some of which were suggested by the IEEE, regarding the relative position of the US and Japan. The survey showed, among other findings, that US engineers believe the US holds a technological edge over Japan in many areas. The majority also believe that the US lead will continue into the next century and that the Japanese should not be credited with being technological innovators since they have been using basic technology developed in other countries     

Differences in competitive strategies between the United States andJapan

The author deal with differences between the strategies employed by firms in Japan and the US towards the generation and utilization of technology. The subject is introduced with a taxonomy (called product genesis) of the process of bringing an idea from the laboratory to the marketplace. The strategies are mapped against the various stages of product genesis. The hypothesis is developed that the competitive threshold for Japanese firms is much further downstream than the onset of competitive sensitivity in US companies; i.e. US companies protect applied research activities whereas their Japanese counterparts still cooperate in this area and protect only design or prototyping of products and processes     

微加工干法刻蚀工艺模拟工具的研究现状

随着MEMS技术的不断发展 ,微加工工艺的仿真和模拟越来越受到人们的关注。简要介绍了国外干法刻蚀工艺模拟工具的发展情况 ,主要包括美国的SPEEDIE、日本的MORDERN和DEER。最后简要介绍了国内开发的DROPIE模拟工具     

Analysis of US semiconductor collaboration

Consortia in the United States and the US National Science Foundation's Engineering Research Centers, which have often emphasized long-range research with considerably less focus on current problems than have consortia in Japan, are reviewed. It is suggested that, in most instances, these US institutions have searched for revolutionary technology advancements and have had difficulty transferring their work to their members. While this type of work supports the development of new technology, it does little to solve current competitiveness problems. Only Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (SEMATECH) has assisted its members with continuous improvements, compressing product cycles, establishing relationships with suppliers, and strengthening core competencies while emphasizing work leading to process and produce improvements. SEMATECH's success shows that government can use SEMATECH as a model for the creation of programs where US industry lags behind foreign competitors     

Global R&D for a 21st century manufacturing system

A 1989 Japanese proposal for joint international research programs to develop an intelligent manufacturing system is discussed. Following initial negative reaction in the United States and Europe, representatives of the European Community (EC) and the US Department of Commerce met to compare reactions to the proposal and to set a course of action. As a result, both organizations are now offering counterproposals, and Japan has revised its proposal to take at least some of the US and EC concerns into account. The US and EC counterproposals are outlined, and Japan's counterproposal is summarized. Attempts are underway to resolve differences to the satisfaction of all three parties     

A research program on the human impact of wireless telecommunications and other electromagnetic-field-emitting systems

The Italian government - specifically, the Ministry for the Instruction, University, and Research - is to be applauded for its decision to provide the financial support for a comprehensive research program. A three-day conference was convened at the official conclusion of the coordinated research program, which was devoted to the assessment of the biological and environmental impact of wireless telecommunication systems and other systems that emit electromagnetic energy, and the development of new knowledge and techniques for the control and mitigation of already existing electromagnetic-field-emitting sources. It is interesting to note that within the past few years - in contrast to the United States - several counties in Europe have initiated nationwide research programs to investigate the biological effects and health implications of electromagnetic fields from wireless telecommunication systems. Comprehensive interdisciplinary research programs, which take into account field emissions both from base stations and personal handsets, are found in Finland, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Indeed, at this moment in time, there are a far greater number of research projects taking place in Japan and several countries in Europe than in the US.     

Strengthening the competitiveness of US microelectronics

It is argued that US competitiveness problems have not been due to a lack of research; rather, they stem from difficulties in sustaining competitiveness when commercialization is dominated by product- and process improvements. Partial shifting of R&D investment by the private sector from innovative new products to improvement of manufacturing processes will help correct these deficiencies, but it may not be sufficient to regain competitiveness in areas where US industry has fallen behind foreign competition. In order for the United States to catch up with Japan in all areas of microelectronics, it is recommended that industry-wide, catch-up consortia be established or continued in the six areas where the United States is rapidly becoming noncompetitive. In addition, it is recommended that the United States establish programs managed by consortia for microelectronics research integration, application, simulation and modeling     

Chasing Japan in the HDTV race

The status of high-definition television (HDTV) in Japan, Europe, and the US is examined. Japan has begun experimental broadcasts, and Europe plans experimental HDTV broadcasts in 1991, while the US is mired in disputes over just how important HDTV might be to its deteriorating consumer electronics industry. Delays in selecting a terrestrial broadcasting transmission standard for the US suggest 1993 as the earliest possible date for the start of HDTV broadcasting in the United States and 1995 as a more probable date. Problems and approaches in the US, Japan, and Europe are compared, focusing on government support and standardization     

Canon: more than just concern

A profile is presented of Canon Inc., a Japanese company that has successfully diversified its product line away from the cameras with which it made its name. Among its products are digital color copiers, laser printers, and IC wafer-steppers. Canon, which operates six research centers in Japan plus R&D subsidiaries in the US and Europe, has grabbed 70% of the color printer market and is preparing for the evolution toward a new generation of G4 digital facsimile machines in conjunction with a more advanced integrated-services digital network (ISDN) infrastructure. Canon also has many new camera offerings, as well as a removable magnetooptical disk that offers read write, and erase capability, and can store 256 Mbytes, the equivalent of 6500 pages of text, on a single side     

Smart cars and highways go global

The status of plans and projects for intelligent vehicle-highway systems (IVHS) in Europe, Japan, and the US is examined. The four broad areas covered by IVHS are described. They are advanced traffic management systems. advanced traveler information systems commercial vehicle operations systems, and advanced vehicle control systems. A variety of projects in Europe, Japan, and the US which aim at proving the feasibility and practicality of IVHS are described. Socioeconomic factors then could delay or even arrest the development of IVHS are examined     

The new joint R&D

During the 1980s, a new form of collaborative research and development emerged in Europe, the US, and Japan. In this new form of joint R&D, companies that compete against one another join together for the purpose of creating new process technology in specified domains. This collaboration among competitors is justified for the development of technologies that many companies will ultimately use in a common manner. Such leaky technology typically cannot be effectively protected by patent or other means, and thus will not be developed except through collaborative means, in which those who benefit jointly incur the R&D expense. In Europe and Japan, governments typically provide 50-70% of the cost of such a joint project, while in the United States, government support for joint R&D is just now beginning to become available. The R&D collaboratives are described as being of two types: the secretariat, which is a coordinative body, and the operating entity, which operates its own R&D laboratory facilities. The conditions under which each organizational form appears, as well as the kinds of effort each form typically undertakes, are described     

Beyond lean: an essay [mass production]

The authors take issue with the belief that traditional mass production has been superseded by a single new kind of `lean' organization invented in Japan and now diffusing throughout the advanced countries. They maintain that national differences in corporate strategy and organization will necessarily extend right through production. They look at the ways in which US and European firms are reorganizing to change over from traditional mass production to lean approaches and identify trends that differ from what Japanese firms have done     

Educating microwave engineers in the United States

Three knowledge areas in which a microwave engineer needs to be educated are reviewed, and implementation means discussed. It is shown that microwave engineering education in the US occurs primarily after receipt of the first (bachelor's) engineering degree. The inevitability of specialized academic education within the field of microwave engineering is pointed out. Overall results from a broadly based survey of US electrical engineering departments' microwave engineering programs are presented. They include information on master's and doctorate degrees awarded, faculty, and sources and level of research funding. Additional reference sources which contain information on US microwave engineering are identified. Opportunities for making educational improvements on the graduate level of this multifaceted engineering specialization, which is not centrally regulated, are pointed out and illustrated by a specific example     

Collaborative semiconductor research in Japan

The authors describe the main features of two recently established joint research laboratories for optoelectronics in Japan: the Optoelectronics Joint Research Laboratory, which existed from 1981 to 1986, and the Optoelectronics Technology Research Laboratory, which was established in 1986. The laboratories were established to make technical breakthroughs in materials technologies for future optoelectronic devices, specifically the optoelectronic integrated circuit. The background, organization, purpose, activities, and merits of this kind of joint research activity are discussed. In such laboratories, researchers on leave from member companies work together toward the same objective within a specific time period. The first trial of such a joint venture in Japan, in the late 1970s, was in the field of silicon large-scale integrated circuits. The change of emphasis from shorter-term to longer-term targets reflects the growth of the semiconductor electronics industry in Japan, but also results from experience with such an unusual form of joint laboratory. It is concluded that a joint laboratory works most effectively when new technological concepts are being explored, which may open up future markets. Focused in this way, a joint laboratory could lead the industry in those aspects of technology that precede competitive device development     

Master's programs and more [manufacturing education]

The growth in the number of educational programs in manufacturing in the US, Japan, and Europe is examined. Undergraduate programs are described, and differences are noted. Master's programs in the US are then discussed     

The rise of the body bots [robotic exoskeletons]

This paper discusses the current status of the research and development on robotic exoskeletons for both commercial and military applications in Japan and the US. Designed to help elderly and disabled people walk, climb stairs, and carry things around, the Japanese exoskeleton, called HAL-5, is set to hit the market in November 2005. Meanwhile, in the US, the most advanced exoskeleton projects are currently underway at the University of California and at Sacros Research Corp. Both groups are working on a second-generation exoskeleton that is a huge improvement over its predecessor. These projects appear to be the first of a platoon of considerably more capable exoskeletons aimed at real-world uses that may soon become part of the mainstream. While most of these systems are designed for the physically weak or disabled people, researchers are quick to mention other commercial possibilities including their use for rescue and emergency operations, moving furniture and other heavy objects, and even construction work.