Technology policy in the Federal Republic of Germany

In: Innovation in the public sector, S. 155-164

Abstract

"The socially oriented technology policy of the 1970s expanded government's role in managing corporate investment and the role of the unions and work councils in developing and applying that policy, but without much changing social relations in the production process. The world economic crisis led the Social Democratic leadership to combine austerity at home with an aggressive modernization policy (including direct Research and Development support) for the export sector. As growth gave way to stagnation, and the lot of workers did not improve markedly, the unions received part of the blame. This encouraged those in the work force who favored confrontation over cooperation." (author's abstract)