| This dissertation posits that the real impact of government-supported R&D is not the returns to the individual firms, but the returns made to society and to enhancing national economic competitiveness. A policy justification for government support of R&D programs is the increased social returns that have occurred as a result of knowledge spillovers. Measuring these returns is not simple, because the results of public R&D weave their way through the economy in countless directions. Federal research must be examined on a case-by-case basis to determine the social returns. This research has attempted to identify key variables critical to the success of joint government-industry programs. In order to do this, the study has reviewed three programs---Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV), American Textile Partnership (AMTEX), and the National Machine Tool Partnership (NMTP)---and described the structural and operational factors that account for the success or longevity of the partnerships and contributing to knowledge spillovers.; More specifically, two PNGV projects---Cast Light Metals and Rapid Tooling---were assessed for knowledge spillovers. Knowledge spillovers occur in obvious ways, as in the dissemination of information through publishing in professional journals, presenting papers at conferences and user associations, public relations and press coverage, and the awarding of patents. They can be observed in new applications---aerospace, electronics, architectural structures, household appliances, railroad rolling stock---and new business relationships, i.e., subcontracts, partnerships, or informal relationships with other companies, as a result of working on the PNGV projects. However, the findings also indicate that knowledge spillovers occur not only from these dissemination strategies and new applications but also from characteristics and the nature of the collaborations themselves. It is clear that the projects themselves provided the opportunities for information exchange, creative thinking and future collaborations.; This study shows that the Cast Light Metals project is effective and successful at creating knowledge spillovers. The variables identified and the processes described in this PNGV project are translatable to many federal and industry partnerships where there are opportunities for this type of structure to exist. |
