MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY CENTERS AS COMPONENTS OF REGIONAL TECHNOLOGYINFRASTRUCTURES

In this paper the intent, content, and unresolved design issues of man ufacturing modernization centers are described. These centers are then viewed through theories of regional technology infrastructure in orde r to(1) use such theories to identify relationships that can be expect ed to affect the effectiveness and efficiency of these new programs; a nd (2) use their workings as a means of operationalizing and testing t he at-times global, amorphous content of these theories. A critique of the forms of market failure is offered. The purpose here is to identi fy a research agenda and mark the limits of current theories of region al technology infrastructure as a guide to policy formulation. Despite few summative evaluations of manufacturing modernization programs, su fficient firm-specific accounts exist to indicate that these programs can contribute to the competitiveness of small and medium-sized manufa cturing firms, and that they have considerable potential. Manufacturin g technology centers need to be more carefully examined, both in terms of formal program evaluations and as components of a region's technol ogy infrastructure.