Technology push-over: defense downturns and civilian technology policy

Since the 1960s civilian technology demonstration programs in the US Depart ments of Transportation and Commerce have manifested a pattern in their ini tiation, content, and outcomes. Programs are episodic, with long periods of relative inactivity occasionally interrupted by brief periods of budgetary largesse. Program content often emphasizes information and automation tech nologies and system integration. Outcomes are often disappointing, with few technologies or systems actually implemented. This broad pattern in civili an technology policy can be explained in part by the dynamics of the defens e sector. Defense technology suppliers occasionally suffer a procurement do wnturn, at which times they apply their political influence in support of o ffsetting civilian projects. This leads to occasional periods of support fo r civilian technology development. This cross-sectoral technological impera tive is here conceptualized as "technology push-over". Evidence of this rel ationship between defense and civilian technology programs can be found in the repeated US programs in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and in aggregate R&D data from the defense, commerce, and transportation sectors. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.