Transfer of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies to Eastern Kentucky Industries

摘要

The study concludes that there are opportunities to provide assistance in the adoption of manufacturing technologies for small and medium-sized firms in eastern Kentucky. However, the new markets created by Toyota are not adequate to justify a directed technology transfer program targeting the auto supply industry in eastern Kentucky because supplier markets have been determined for some time, and manufacturers in eastern Kentucky were not competitive in this early selection process. The results of the study strongly reinforce a reorientation of state business assistance programs. The study also concludes that the quality and quantity of available labor is a pervasive problem in eastern Kentucky and has particular relevance as our economy changes. The study also investigated what type of technology transfer programs would be appropriate to assist manufacturing firms in eastern Kentucky and if there were a critical number of firms to make such a program feasible.