A broad overview of Canadian high-tech activities that suggests insights concerning the direction and scope of such industries as well as public policy. Includes a study of Canada's competitiveness in the manufacturing sector, and the use and production of new technology; an examination of the characteristics of the information technology sector and the likely patterns of development and economic prospects, the role of multi-national corporations, and their corporate decision-making; government policies that may stimulate Canadian high technology and enhance competitiveness; a brief history of GATT tariff negotiations, subsidies and possible agreements to limit their use; the use of government procurement policies to assist domestic high-tech firms; regulation in the context of high-tech policies; the protection of intellectual property and education and research as the basis of a new high-tech strategy, particularly the Canadian record.

Assesses the global competitiveness of the U.S. computer software and service industries through an examination of distinct market segments. Examines external factors, such as government policies (intellectual property protection, telecommunications regulations, and export controls), and education trends. Internal factors are also examined such as host management strategies and product development strategies, that impact these industries. The analysis focuses primarily on the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Charts, tables and graphs.

Presents empirical evidence on the past, present, and future of the global electronics market in a series of comparative analyses of economic competitions using data pertaining to specific countries, industries, and companies. Seeing such competition as a complex dynamic process, compares the macroeconomic performance of selected nations, of their electronics industries, and of corporations in the clustering groups that spread along the electronic technology chain. Argues that the doctrine of free trade is irrelevant and that a country's advantage no longer depends on natural endowments such as climate and minerals, but can be created and accumulated by any country. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

There is growing consensus among international trade negotiators and policymakers that a prime area for future multilateral discussion is competition policy. Competition policy includes antitrust policy (including merger regulation and control) but is often extended to include international trade measures and other policies that affect the structure, conduct, and performance of individual industries. This study includes country studies of competition policy in Western Europe, North America, and the Far East (with a focus on Japan) in the light of increasingly globalized activities of business firms. Areas where there are major differences in philosophy, policy, or practice are identified, with emphasis on those differences that could lead to economic costs and international friction. Alternatives for eliminating these costs and frictions are discussed, including unilateral policy changes, bilateral or multilateral harmonization of policies, and creation of new international regimes to supplement or replace national or regional regimes.

The increasing globalization of production and the conservative agenda for market-led growth are dramatically affecting the life of the average Canadian and the choices made by social and economic policy makers. As Daniel Drache, Meric Gertler, and the contributing authors show, the worldwide reorganization of markets poses new challenges for domestic industry while continental trade initiatives threaten the livelihood of Canadian workers and the stability of communities across all regions of the country. Environmental quality is similarly at risk from development strategies driven more by possibilities of short-term gain from export sales than by attempts to promote long-term sustainability.