manufacturing

As part of the series of studies assessing the U.S. competitive position in different industries, the report on the U.S. automobile manufacturing industry concentrates on the Big 3 firms (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors) and discusses the condition of the industry, product and production strategies, the importance of the supply chain.

Based on surveys of companies and consultants, the study concludes that Manufacturing Extension Centers (MEC) do not compete directly with private consultants. MECs encourage greater openness of manufacturers to change, enabling them to benefit more from outside assistance.

This paper presents an evaluation of one effort to spur industrial modernization -- the Industrial Technology Extension Service (ITES) in New York State. Based on both qualitative and quantitative analysis, the evaluation suggests that the ITES program has had a favorable impact on many companies with respect to cost reductions and increased productivity.

This paper reviews the theoretical predictions of a country experiencing a resource boom. It then briefly describes the country experiences of the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom in this regard and finally develops a methodology for a more formal statistical analysis designed to shed light on the relationships between the energy sector and manufacturers in these countries, as well as to identify other potential explanatory factors.

This paper reviews the theoretical predictions of a country experiencing a resource boom. It then briefly describes the country experiences of the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom in this regard and finally develops a methodology for a more formal statistical analysis designed to shed light on the relationships between the energy sector and manufacturers in these countries, as well as to identify other potential explanatory factors.