ABSTRACT
It is widely acknowledged among business strategists that the starting point of any strategic planning effort consists of analyzing the profit potential of the industry. It is an appropriate beginning in that, whether the industry’s potential is good or poor,
it behooves all to understand how to compete within it. Because some industries are relatively mature, they tend to be easier to analyze than others. But new or embryonic industries are among the most promising in terms of growth and development, both in domestic and international markets. Whatever an industry’s stage of growth, it is important to understand its underlying dynamics. In our opening case, we focus on nanotechnology, perhaps the most anticipated as the “next” generation of products and services that can reinvigorate technological advances already sown by communications technology, the personal computer, and the Internet.
