Managing the essential strategic entrepreneurial production resource for the 21st century: Foundaries at the Interface

Twenty first century economies are increasingly being fueled by regional entrepreneurial and intreprepreneurial solutions to global problems such as water purity, global warming, health care, energy, and nutrition. However, the tradition al single technology or “Silo” approach to solving one of these problems while negatively affecting others are increasingly being eschewed. Multi technology solution sets, often comprised of both emerging and more established technologies, are increasingly embraced. Many utilizing these types of solution bases seek to leverage the more established management practices centered on the established technologies in order to manage their entire production process. Yet is this approach appropriate? One such multi technology solution set is comprised of the more emergent technology basis of nanotechnology and micromachining (MEMS) combined with the more established semiconductor microfabrication. This “Small Tech” solution base is seen by many as theb next “Shumpeterian Wave” of economic development. Yet they require costly “Foundaries at the Interface” or Multi Technology, High Product Mix, Low Volume fabrication facilities (MT-HMLV). These fabrications facilities have adopted for the most part the more established management practices of High Volume Semiconductor Faciltiy (HVSF) management proacticeses. We show that the results practice have been less than optimum. Our case study effort shows that these facilities use of taditonbal HVSF managment practices do not convey the strategic value of a MT-HMLV, nor do they adequately assist in their operational management. These facilities often funded by governmental action are essential to regional and firm based economic growth are now atrisk. If this is so there is cause for concern.