The impact of manufacturing offshore on technology development paths in the automotive and optoelectronics industries

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 202-209).This dissertation presents a two-case study of the impact of manufacturing offshore on the technology trajectory of the firm and the industry. It looks in particular at the automotive and optoelectronics industries. The dissertation uses an innovative combination of engineering modeling and qualitative research methods to provide insights into this question. The results suggest an important difference between the two cases. In the automotive case, the results do not show that manufacturing offshore changes the path of technology development. In the optoelectronics case, the results do suggest that manufacturing offshore may be changing the path of technology development. The cross-case analysis reveals several important similarities between the two cases: (1) the relative economic positions of the emerging technology and the prevailing design shift when production is transferred to developing East Asia; (2) while the emerging design is more cost-competitive in the U.S. production structure, the prevailing design is more cost-competitive in the developing East Asia production structure; (3) firms initially do not understand the implications of moving offshore for the competitiveness of their designs; (4) firms choose to produce the prevailing design offshore; and (5) although the firms' decisions to produce the prevailing design offshore are rational in a static model, they fail to take into account dynamic diseconomies - specifically, disincentives and disadvantages for innovations critical to long-term markets. In its conclusion, this dissertation suggests a generalizable framework for how technology may influence manufacturing location and how manufacturing location may influence technology. To develop a more representative framework will require additional case studies.by Erica R.H. Fuchs.Ph.D

Changing Paths: The Impact of Manufacturing Offshore on Technology Development Incentives in the Optoelectronics Industry

This paper presents a case study of the impact of manufacturing offshore on the technological trajectory of the firm and the industry. It looks in particular at the optoelectronics industry. The paper uses a combination of simulation modeling and qualitative research methods to develop grounded theory. The results suggest that firms face an important dilemma. In the case of optoelectronic firms, they are able to reduce short-term costs by manufacturing offshore; however, manufacturing offshore creates a combination of cost and knowledge constraints which limit the firms’ ability to pursue critical innovations. These results are also of interest to those concerned with trade policy. The interest here is two fold. First, the optoelectronics industry is of strategic importance in the evolution of industrial technology and thus is important to national policy. The paper’s principal finding that manufacturing offshore reduces incentives for innovation raises serious questions about the appropriateness of an offshore manufacturing policy in the long run. Second, the case challenges more generally conventional theories of trade, particularly their underlying assumptions about the long term dynamic effects which work through technological change. This case raises the troublesome question of whether these effects might be generally perverse and reduce or possibly eliminate the gains from trade over the long term

Three new pancreatic cancer susceptibility signals identified on chromosomes 1q32.1, 5p15.33 and 8q24.21.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified common pancreatic cancer susceptibility variants at 13 chromosomal loci in individuals of European descent. To identify new susceptibility variants, we performed imputation based on 1000 Genomes (1000G) Project data and association analysis using 5,107 case and 8,845 control subjects from 27 cohort and case-control studies that participated in the PanScan I-III GWAS. This analysis, in combination with a two-staged replication in an additional 6,076 case and 7,555 control subjects from the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) and Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control (PanC4) Consortia uncovered 3 new pancreatic cancer risk signals marked by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2816938 at chromosome 1q32.1 (per allele odds ratio (OR) = 1.20, P = 4.88x10 -15), rs10094872 at 8q24.21 (OR = 1.15, P = 3.22x10 -9) and rs35226131 at 5p15.33 (OR = 0.71, P = 1.70x10 -8). These SNPs represent independent risk variants at previously identified pancreatic cancer risk loci on chr1q32.1 ( NR5A2), chr8q24.21 ( MYC) and chr5p15.33 ( CLPTM1L- TERT) as per analyses conditioned on previously reported susceptibility variants. We assessed expression of candidate genes at the three risk loci in histologically normal ( n = 10) and tumor ( n = 8) derived pancreatic tissue samples and observed a marked reduction of NR5A2 expression (chr1q32.1) in the tumors (fold change -7.6, P = 5.7x10 -8). This finding was validated in a second set of paired ( n = 20) histologically normal and tumor derived pancreatic tissue samples (average fold change for three NR5A2 isoforms -31.3 to -95.7, P = 7.5x10 -4-2.0x10 -3). Our study has identified new susceptibility variants independently conferring pancreatic cancer risk that merit functional follow-up to identify target genes and explain the underlying biology

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies five new susceptibility loci for pancreatic cancer.

In 2020, 146,063 deaths due to pancreatic cancer are estimated to occur in Europe and the United States combined. To identify common susceptibility alleles, we performed the largest pancreatic cancer GWAS to date, including 9040 patients and 12,496 controls of European ancestry from the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium (PanScan) and the Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium (PanC4). Here, we find significant evidence of a novel association at rs78417682 (7p12/TNS3, P = 4.35 × 10-8). Replication of 10 promising signals in up to 2737 patients and 4752 controls from the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium yields new genome-wide significant loci: rs13303010 at 1p36.33 (NOC2L, P = 8.36 × 10-14), rs2941471 at 8q21.11 (HNF4G, P = 6.60 × 10-10), rs4795218 at 17q12 (HNF1B, P = 1.32 × 10-8), and rs1517037 at 18q21.32 (GRP, P = 3.28 × 10-8). rs78417682 is not statistically significantly associated with pancreatic cancer in PANDoRA. Expression quantitative trait locus analysis in three independent pancreatic data sets provides molecular support of NOC2L as a pancreatic cancer susceptibility gene

Agnostic Pathway/Gene Set Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Data Identifies Associations for Pancreatic Cancer

Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identify associations of individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with cancer risk but usually only explain a fraction of the inherited variability. Pathway analysis of genetic variants is a powerful tool to identify networks of susceptibility genes. Methods We conducted a large agnostic pathway-based meta-analysis of GWAS data using the summary-based adaptive rank truncated product method to identify gene sets and pathways associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in 9040 cases and 12 496 controls. We performed expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis and functional annotation of the top SNPs in genes contributing to the top associated pathways and gene sets. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results We identified 14 pathways and gene sets associated with PDAC at a false discovery rate of less than 0.05. After Bonferroni correction (P Conclusion Our agnostic pathway and gene set analysis integrated with functional annotation and eQTL analysis provides insight into genes and pathways that may be biologically relevant for risk of PDAC, including those not previously identified.Peer reviewe

Perioperative events influence cancer recurrence risk after surgery.

Surgery is a mainstay treatment for patients with solid tumours. However, despite surgical resection with a curative intent and numerous advances in the effectiveness of (neo)adjuvant therapies, metastatic disease remains common and carries a high risk of mortality. The biological perturbations that accompany the surgical stress response and the pharmacological effects of anaesthetic drugs, paradoxically, might also promote disease recurrence or the progression of metastatic disease. When cancer cells persist after surgery, either locally or at undiagnosed distant sites, neuroendocrine, immune, and metabolic pathways activated in response to surgery and/or anaesthesia might promote their survival and proliferation. A consequence of this effect is that minimal residual disease might then escape equilibrium and progress to metastatic disease. Herein, we discuss the most promising proposals for the refinement of perioperative care that might address these challenges. We outline the rationale and early evidence for the adaptation of anaesthetic techniques and the strategic use of anti-adrenergic, anti-inflammatory, and/or antithrombotic therapies. Many of these strategies are currently under evaluation in large-cohort trials and hold promise as affordable, readily available interventions that will improve the postoperative recurrence-free survival of patients with cancer

7. Rethinking the Role of the State in Technology Development

1. Introduction Debates on the appropriate role for government in technology policy often fall into two camps—proponents of free markets; and proponents of government choosing technology winners. Among those who favor a strong role for government, most view the state’s role as limited to facilitating technology investment through tax policy, subsidies, and funding for basic research. A few argue for coordination of technology investment across the many arms of government. In search of this co..

The significance of production cost inputs in regional technology choice : composite automotive body-in-whites in the US versus China

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-176).Nations seek to influence the technology decisions of multi national firms producing within their borders for many reasons. These reasons range from a nation's desires to maximize its competitiveness in the global marketplace to a nation's desire to improve the social welfare of its citizens. Alone by understanding the forces driving multinationals decisions, can nations develop means to impact those decisions. Market supply, market demand, individual interests, group interests and government policy all affect the technological decisions of firms' managers and engineers. This work models the cost of automotive body in-white production in the United States versus the People's Republic of China. Three body-in-white materials are evaluated for each country: carbon-reinforced composites, glass-reinforced composites, and steel. Based on the results, insights are sought on the significance of production costs versus other factors in driving the extent of composite body-in-white vehicle production in China versus in the U.S. Composite body-in-whites are, according to the results of this thesis, produced less frequently in both the U.S. and China than would optimize manufacturing costs. Composites have a production cost advantage over steel for more U.S. scenarios; however,interest in composite body-in-whites is greater in China. Several qualities of the Chinese market help explain this dichotomy between production cost implications and in-country actions. Concerns of part tolerances, surface appearance, worker safety during processing, and· legal ramifications of non-conventional crash mechanisms do not hold the same weight in China as they do in the U.S. Greenfield investment opportunities are many in China, and China is known for a willingness to experiment. In contrast, the U.S. auto industry is plagued with embedded capital costs and powerful stakeholders in association with steel. The interests of firms, nations, and individuals do not always overlap. The results of this thesis, however, suggest that it would be in the interest of all for greater investment to be made in composite body-in-white production in the U.S., and for experimentation in composite body-in-white production to continue to be encouraged in China.by Erica R.H. Fuchs.S.M