We Are Burning -- The History of R&D in Japanese Electronics Companies

Author: Bob Johnston (USA), translated by Li Xianbo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: This book provides a detailed introduction to the R&D activities of Japanese electronics companies that have long held a leading position in the world. It thoroughly analyzes and describes the technological status of Japanese electronics companies during different historical periods, as well as the thoughts and actions of their R&D personnel, and delves into the secrets of their enduring success. These descriptions and analyses cover various aspects such as traditional Japanese documents, the transformation of government management functions, talent mobility, technology transfer, and more, which hold significant inspirational meaning and provide excellent guidance and reference value for the R&D activities of Chinese enterprises. The author conducted tracking interviews with many rare Japanese industrialists, persuading them to share their stories, including key figures from the past and present. Through these materials, the veil of Japanese companies is lifted, revealing the essence of enterprises such as Canon, Casio, Seiko Sharp, and Yamaha. These Japanese industrialists, in the 1960s and 1970s, were dedicated to the consumer electronics industry. They turned unnoticed American inventions like miniature cameras, liquid crystal displays, semiconductor excitors, digital watches, electronic synthesizers, portable cameras, and indispensable industrial products such as CD players into globally recognized products. Through investigating the development history of a batch of microelectronics technologies, the author examines how they were born in American laboratories but ultimately emerged as Japanese products, while also revealing the transnational nature of 20th-century technological innovation and the infinite charm of R&D innovation. This book provides a detailed introduction to the R&D activities of Japanese electronics companies that have long held a leading position in the world. It thoroughly analyzes and describes the technological status of Japanese electronics companies during different historical periods, as well as the thoughts and actions of their R&D personnel, and delves into the secrets of their enduring success. These descriptions and analyses cover various aspects such as traditional Japanese documents, the transformation of government management functions, talent mobility, technology transfer, and more, which hold significant inspirational meaning and provide excellent guidance and reference value for the R&D activities of Chinese enterprises. The author conducted tracking interviews with many rare Japanese industrialists, persuading them to share their stories, including key figures from the past and present. Through these materials, the veil of Japanese companies is lifted, revealing the essence of enterprises such as Canon, Casio, Seiko Sharp, and Yamaha. These Japanese industrialists, in the 1960s and 1970s, were dedicated to the consumer electronics industry. They turned unnoticed American inventions like miniature cameras, liquid crystal displays, semiconductor excitors, digital watches, electronic synthesizers, portable cameras, and indispensable industrial products such as CD players into globally recognized products. The author through investigating the development history of a batch of microelectronics technologies, sees how they were born in American laboratories, finally with the face of Japanese products, while also revealing the transnational nature of 20th-century technological innovation and the infinite charm of R&D innovation.