ABSTRACT
The story of industrialization in the developing world in large measure has been a story of the emergence and expansion of two sectors: textiles and garments; and electronics. Of these it has been electronics industries that have caught the public imagination and become a prime focus for the attention of government economic planners. The reasons for this are not hard to discern. Since the 1960s the idea that investment in ‘high technology’ was the fastest route to dynamic companies and prosperous economies, has been a commonplace in boardrooms, cabinet offices and in the popular consciousness. The image of Silicon Valley (California) and Route 128 (Massachusetts) as concentrations of scientists and engineers busily creating the next generation of machines destined to transform further our lives, pay packets and the profits of a few, has been particularly potent. At its extremities this imagery has been little more than media hype; but beneath this has been the reality that for some economies, investment in electronics production has delivered enormous benefits. While these benefits have accrued substantially to the developed economies, where the critical mass of scientific knowledge and technical expertise central to such a technology-driven industry historically has been located, some have been delivered to parts of the developing world.
