Technological Systems and Economic Performance: The Case of Factory Automation

What are the characteristics of an environment that is conducive to technological innovation? In recent years, several studies have appeared which have emphasized the comprehensive institutional framework of innovation in various countries. These studies have focused on the institutions and actors, primarily in science and technology policy, at the national level. The present study takes as its starting point the idea that the institutional infrastructure, important users and suppliers of technology and their capabilities, policy agents and networks which tie them together differ across various fields of technology, and that the boundaries of the system may not coincide with national frontiers. This book represents an analysis of a "technological system", namely that which constitutes the context for factory automation in Sweden. From a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary perspective, a group of researchers from three Swedish research institutes analyze Sweden's performance in factory automation, including its economic impact, the role of international linkages and the policy implications.