A Brief History of the Future of Manufacturing: US Manufacturing Technology Forecasts in Retrospective, 1950-Present

Title: A Brief History of the Future of Manufacturing: US Manufacturing Technology Forecasts in Retrospective, 1950-Present
Format: Other Publication
Publication Date: July 2007
Description:

This paper reviews the manufacturing technology forecasts made over the last five decades relative to the realisation of these predictions. Predictions as to how technology will evolve in future periods have had mixed records of fulfillment. Some mnaufactuing technology have not fulfilled expectations (e.g. integration technologies in the 1980s) whereas others have greatly exceeded expected adoption rates (e.g. the internet in the 1990s). Moreover, technology forecasts did not occur in a vacuum; they were always conjoined with projections about how to manage these technologies, global responses to these technologies, and the impact they will have on employment and skill.

Ivan Allen College Contributors:
External Contributors: Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira, Jue Wang
Citation:

Youtie, Jan, Philip Shapira, Aselia Urmanbetova, and Jue Wang. "A Brief History of the Future of Manufacturing: US Manufacturing Technology Forecasts in Retrospective, 1950-Present." International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy  3.3 (2007):  311-331.

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Related Departments:
  • School of Economics