Sustaining Global Competitiveness in the Provision of Complex Product Systems: The Case of Civilian Nuclear Power Technology
Sustaining Global Competitiveness in the Provision of Complex Product Systems: The Case of Civilian Nuclear Power Technology
This chapter focuses on the production of “complex product systems,” and, in particular, large-scale nuclear power plants that are produced and deployed on a one-off basis. The authors examine the commercial capabilities needed to design and deploy these product systems. Despite expectations to the contrary, many of the most critical capabilities actually do not move from the innovating firm/nation to the place of purchase or deployment. Procuring nations can gain knowledge to manufacture heavy components or construct systems, but they are unable to force the transfer of system design and system integration capabilities. This means that Western firms’ design and integration capabilities are often enhanced rather than undermined by the outsourcing of lower-level design work and component production.
Keywords: China, Nuclear industry, Complex product systems, Outsourcing, Innovation
MIT Press Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
