A broad-scale profile of the marine advanced technology industry

Abstract

Within the maritime sector of the United States economy, in which many industries are largely moribund (shipbuilding), flagging (international shipping), or often in disarray (fisheries), electronic marine instrumentation stands out as a field showing outstanding growth performance and potential. Marine instrumentation may well be an area of international competition in which United States companies can achieve sustained growth. While U.S. companies have been playing a dominant role in this market in the past, virtually no systematic study has been devoted to the sources or durability of their competitive advantage, or to the steps that might be taken to promote their future competitiveness. A Marine Policy Center project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the Massachusetts Centers of Excellence Corporation (MCEC) is now beginning to provide some of this information. The Marine Policy Center project is attempting to describe and analyze the industry structure and competitive position of U.S. marine electronics companies. The first cut at a definition of the marine advanced technology industry detailed in this technical report represents part of the background research for this project. Complementary studies by researchers at Florida State University and Hawaii's Oceanic Institute will project areas of future market potential for marine electronic instrumentation. By building on and refining the industry profile presented in this technical report,the NOAA/MCEC project will provide greater insight into the important features of the "high technology" sector of the U.S. marine industry, and into the factors that determine its competitive position in the American and international markets. The resulting understanding of the industry will enable industry and government to make better informed policy decisions to nurture the continuing viability and competitiveness of U.S. marine electronics firms in the years to come.