Lowell: A High Technology Success Story

摘要

As States and even nations are actively seeking to attract high technology industries, there is little evidence available on the actual impact of these industries on economic development. Through an analysis of trends in employment, unemployment and relative wages, this article discusses a case study of the effects of high technology on a local economy - Lowell, Massachusetts. Once the heart of the U.S. textile industry, in recent years the Lowell area has become a thriving center of high technology employment and a model of reindustrialization for older cities that have lost jobs in their traditional manufacturing industries. The Lowell experience supports the view that high technology can provide a vital engine to regional growth and development. Economic growth without industrial diversity, however, may undermine the prospects for economic success in the long run. Moreover, this article raises questions about the applicability of the 'Lowell model' to high wage, heavy industry areas, such as Pittsburg and Detroit, that are seeking to reindustrialize their economies.