Re: [tlug] OT: interesting NY times article:High-Tech Japanese, Running Out of Engineers

[Edward Middleton <emiddleton@example.com>]

CL wrote:
> Edward Middleton wrote:
> > CL wrote:
>
> > > You are thinking too much.  Maybe 90% of what constitutes "sensitive 
> > > technology" is ... or was 30 years ago when I was just starting out 
> > > working for Japanese companies the first time around ... anything 
> > > that allows me to make the dollar you could make if you could set up 
> > > your factory to operate the same way mine does.
> >
> > Well we are clearly talking about different things then.  How much 
> > consumer level manufacturing is carried out in Japan now?  My 
> > impression is that it is not a lot.
>
> That which is done here is either highly mechanized, has high return 
> on investment, and/or involves the use of methods that the Japanese do 
> not yet wish to share with their overseas manufacturing facilities or 
> partners.  Honda recently closed all motorcycle production in the US 
> and will produce all two-wheeled Honda-badged vehicles at a highly 
> mechanized plant in Kyushu.  They have reached a point where robots 
> work cheaper, more reliably, and do not mail in their UAW postcards.

Well if we are talking about this sort of technology then you are 
getting into areas covered, or potentially covered by Japanese export 
controls, because there are military applications for the technology.  
[1]Yamaha got caught for export control violations for exporting robot 
controlled helicopters to China.

Edward

1. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060129a1.html