Western Europe: Technology and the future

Book · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6126419

Woods, S

There has been much discussion about the supposed ''technology gap'' between the high technology industries of Western Europe and those of the United States and Japan. The author argues that this ''technology gap'' is a myth. Although the competitiveness and innovativeness of West European high technology sectors have declined in recent times a technology gap has not been the cause. But politicians have seized on technological explanations of European problems, in part to avoid confronting more difficult political dilemmas. A range of policy proposals-including ESPRIT and EUREKA-have been formulated to deal with Europe's perceived technological shortcomings which, while providing some benefits, do not attack the root causes. The author compares and contrasts the environment for innovation in the United States, Japan, and Western Europe, analyzing differences in the respective technological bases, industrial structures, patterns of demand and government policies to find just where West European frailties lie, and where leaders should focus their attention. Contents: foreword, introduction, the technology gap and the new economic context, high technology and innovation, the technological ''performance'' of Western Europe, Western Europe and microelectronics, the environment for innovation in west: some comparisons, the Western European response, and conclusion, notes.

• OSTI ID: 6126419
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290200 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
290500* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
COMPETITION
COOPERATION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
EUROPE
FORECASTING
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
MICROELECTRONICS
POLITICAL ASPECTS
REVIEWS
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
WESTERN EUROPE