USETAP

The US-Europe Technology Adoption Project (USETAP) is a collaborative project jointly located at the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management at Auburn University in the US and the University of Plymouth Business School in the UK. The primary function of the Joint Project is the systematic and periodic study and analyses of manufacturing technology use in North America and Europe. The resulting comparative reports are intended for use by industry and policy makers in the two regions in making decisions with a wider global perspective.  Plans include bringing together international experts on manufacturing technology through international conferences and other events, and additional research projects related to international manufacturing technology issues.

The Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management, Auburn University, USA is a joint effort of the colleges of business and engineering at Auburn University. The Center was created in 1989 to further technology management research and education. Research and curriculum development activities of the Center were made possible by endowments, gifts, Auburn University funds, and sponsors such as the National Science Foundation (USA). One of the core activities of the Center is the development of curriculum to expose business students to decision making in technology-intensive firms, and to expose engineering students to business and competitive issues. Four Professorships in Technology Management were created in 1999 to assist the Center develop a program in Technology and Management for undergraduate students.

The University of Plymouth Business School is the largest provider of business and management education and training in the Southwest of England, and a centre for research related to regional economies, organisational learning, taxation and corporate finance, and the management of innovation.  Innovation research has centred on projects funded by the ESRC and other bodies into how managers are prepared to face the challenges posed to firms through technology advances in process and product, and other fundamental change, and the development of practical tools to support their strategic thinking and visioning.

Auburn University in Alabama in the US and Plymouth University in the Southwest of England are both large comprehensive teaching and research universities, committed to supporting the needs and expectations of regional constituents while at the same time undertaking world-class research across a full range of disciplines.  Both institutions are recognised for their teaching provision for local, national and international students, for the quality of their research, and for their strong interactions with industry and other external stakeholders.

First Joint Report  : Technology on the UK Factory Plant