The questions addressed in this volume are motivated by the recognition that engineers play an important role in generating innovation and economic growth. In this chapter, we seek to offer some description of engineering work by looking in detail at a specific manufacturing industry—firms...

Some highlights from our original survey data include a wide range in terms of size and strategies of supply chain companies; a majority was small- to medium-sized, often family-owned. We observed barriers to patenting for manufacturing firms developing process rather than product innovations....

This paper takes a detailed look at the automotive supply chain to gain insight into how engineers generate innovation. Using survey data and observations from dozens of site visits to manufacturers, we characterize the incremental improvements in processes and product quality that accumulate to...