manufacturing

Using firm-level panel data for the manufacturing sector in four African countries, the authors estimate the effect of exporting on efficiency. Evidence of learning-by-exporting suggests that Africa has much to gain from orientating its manufacturing sector towards exporting.

This paper investigates the determinants of vertical integration using data from the U.K. manufacturing sector. The authors find that the relationship between a downstream (producer) industry and an upstream (supplier) industry is more likely to be vertically integrated when the producing industry is more technology intensive and the supplying industry is less technology intensive.

The paper explores several dimensions of Danish industrys innovative performance with respect to the paradigm of the fifth generation innovation model that was suggested by Rothwell. Results indicate that Danish manufacturing companies demonstrate an innovative performance close to the fourth generation of innovation, which is slightly different than it is perceived publicly.

The survey funded by Minnesota Technology Institute finds that most of Minnesotas out state manufacturing companies are facing increased competition, specifically from Chinese manufacturers. Respondents on average estimated a 20 percent loss in sales by 2003, attributable to Chinese manufacturing.

Research from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid suggests that spillovers from product innovations are greater than those derived from process innovation. The report also suggests that public policies targeted more exclusively toward encouraging product innovations by firms may be more effective and beneficial than a current portfolio of policies. The study analyzes data on more 2,000 manufacturing firms from 1990 to 1998.

The white paper by the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM) suggests that the U.S. can compete successfully with low-wage countries if industry and government rally around two basic goals: increase labor productivity by greatly accelerating the use of advanced technologies; and leverage national resources through a major expansion of public-private partnerships.

Important trends, possible trend-breaks, challenges, opportunities and possible visions for the future of manufacturing in Europe are highlighted within the report. Scenarios are illustrated that may offer a glimpse into socio-economic developments and future technologies that are likely to shape the European manufacturing industry.

The report form the Progressive Policy Institute stresses three steps for the government to take in order to help boost U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. The author contends the Bush administrations economic ideology precludes such steps from taking place.

The paper studies the Japanese manufacturing industry, and finds that local knowledge spillovers and immobile specialized labor affect regional growth. Thus, while regional demand of
tradable outputs matters less, regional supply of inputs, specially non-tradable inputs, remains critical for manufacturing locations.

The author identifies the determinants of wages and productivity in Mexico over time using national representative linked employer-employee databases from the manufacturing sector. Findings indicate that both employers and employees are benefiting from investments in education, training, work experience, foreign research and development, and openness after the North American Free Trade Agreement.