Abstract
This book is about technical innovation in industry: the development, commercialisation, adaptation and improvement of products and production processes. Its basic theme is that differences amongst firms and countries in the OECD area in their capacity for technical innovation have a significant influence on international competitiveness, economic growth and living standards. It argues that, for a long time, British industry’s performance in technical innovation has on the whole been unsatisfactory in comparison with nearly all its major competitors, and that there are few signs of improvement. For Britain’s economic performance and living standards to improve relative to those of other OECD countries will require — among other things — a deliberate policy to deal directly with British deficiencies in technical innovation.
I am indebted to William Walker for preliminary reading and analysis for this chapter.
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© 1980 Science Policy Research Unit
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Pavitt, K. (1980). Introduction and Summary. In: Pavitt, K. (eds) Technical Innovation and British Economic Performance. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-04561-7_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-04561-7_1
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-04563-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-04561-7
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