Advanced Technology Program's Approach to Technology Diffusion. Paper Presented211 at the NATO Science for Peace Programme Advanced Research Workshop 'Industry as a 211 Stimulator of Technology Transfer'. Held in Warsaw-Bialystok, Poland

摘要

This paper examines the approach to technology diffusion of a public-private211u001epartnership program in the United State, the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), 211u001ethat puts industry in the lead and emphasizes spillover effects for national 211u001eeconomic benefit. The paper identifies key features of the program by which it 211u001epromotes technology diffusion, reports on early progress, and discusses 211u001echallenges faced by the program in achieving intra-industry and inter-industry 211u001etechnology diffusion. The following specific strategies of the ATP for fostering 211u001etechnology diffusion are discussed: (1) selecting 'enabling' technologies for 211u001efunding which by their nature are expected to be particularly conducive to broad 211u001euse and diffusion; (2) selecting projects with integrated research and 211u001ebusiness/economic plans, and which are structured organizationally to provide 211u001eclear pathways to early applications of the technology; (3) encouraging interfirm 211u001eand other collaborative relationships to strengthen the pathways to rapid 211u001edevelopment, commercialization, and broader diffusion; (4) providing forums to 211u001efacilitate the diffusion of technology; and (5) evaluating project outcomes, 211u001eanalyzing factors influencing diffusion, and feeding back the results to inform 211u001ethe selection process. Direct and indirect paths of technology diffusion are 211u001ediscussed and illustrated. Alternative structures of project organizations are 211u001emodeled and their implications for technology diffusion are discussed. 211u001eIllustrative examples and results are included.