ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the geographic landscape of the innovation potential of machine tools and to discover those metro-regional inputs or endowments that play key roles in the development of this innovation potential. It analyzes these influences across industries. The history of the machine tool industry from a technological perspective illustrated that many of the variables used likely have been exerting an influence on the development of the machine tool industry since its birth. Similar results emerged from a comparison of the forces driving machine tool and semiconductor innovation potential; resources that facilitate the development of innovation potential for one industry also appear to facilitate it for another industry. Since the required ingredients for developing the innovation potential of an industry are somewhat similar across industries, the policy implications for developing a region's innovation potential also are similar. The industry was boom before many of the complementary technologies that could have supplied a need for machine tools were created.
