Judith B. Sedaitis (ed.): Commercializing High Technology. East and West

1997 Lanham MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 376 pages.

The main theme of the book is the transformation of technology policy and R&D in both East and West after the Cold War. During that period, many resources were spent on defense research and the development of military technology. In the new era, however, the need for defense research has declined, since there is no longer a real 'enemy'. The shift from military threats to economic competitiveness raises a new challenge for the countries on both sides of the former Iron Curtain: the conversion of defense R&D to a more general technology policy. The book edited by Judith Sedaitis deals with the problems of this conversion, which is translated into the question of how to commercialize high technology. The book is divided into four parts describing different phases of the conversion.