Modernizing Manufacturing: New Policies to Build Industrial Extension Services

摘要

Compared with their major international competitors, U.S. firms have been slow to upgrade their manufacturing capabilities. The modernization problem is most acute among small and midsized firms with fewer than 500 workers. Since many of them supply larger firms, this failure to modernize adversely affects the whole industrial base. Some states and state universities have initiated industrial extension programs. These programs assist small and midsized firms to solve production problems, boost productivity and quality, introduce new technology, and improve training. In general, industrial extension programs have demonstrated that they can stimulate smaller firms to upgrade their manufacturing proficiency.