Publications on Policy

The move towards sustainable energy production and use is one of the most challenging and profound changes currently taking place in the world’s established and emerging economies. Energy and Innovation presents a series of informative case studies from Norway, the United Kingdom, Poland, the United States, Russia, Japan, and China… Read More

This article examines the cost of federal regulations for U.S. businesses and U.S. international competitiveness, as well as one proposal to address the issue, the Competitiveness Impact Statement (CIS). A review of the literature concludes that the lack of reliable data on the cost of regulation at the industry level… Read More

This project, a collaboration between the Bureau of Business Research (BBR) and the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at The University of Texas at Austin, assesses the socio-economic impact of Texas’ sexually oriented business industry on the Texas economy, analyzes the impact on Texas’ economy of the… Read More

This report addresses the question of whether there is a need for a Competitiveness Impact Statement (CIS) attached to proposed legislation in the U.S. A review of the literature on the cost of complying with federal regulations for U.S. businesses, and its effect on U.S. competitiveness, concludes that the lack… Read More

Report on the economic potential of the solar energy industry in Texas. Read More

Two reports on the economic and workforce effects of Hurricane Katrina, aging workforce and related factors on NASA's Space Shuttle Program efforts along the Gulf Coast. The research was conducted by a joint team from the Ray Marshall Center and the IC² Institute and is based on field interviews, focus… Read More

Report on the importance of manufacturing to the Texas economy and on proposals to create a Secretary of Manufacturing to promote manufacturing in Texas. Read More

“Impact Assessment of the State of Texas Advanced Technology Program” evaluated 1850 applied research projects funded at Texas universities since 1987. Economic impacts from principal investigators and private sector partners were compiled, university administrative officials and venture capitalists were interviewed regarding commercialization of university research and development, and recommendations were… Read More

At the request of Lt. Governor Bill Ratliff in 2002, the Bureau of Business Research (BBR) examined the relationship between credit history and insurance losses in automobile insurance. With the assistance of the leading automobile insurers in Texas, the BBR research team constructed a database of automobile insurance policies from… Read More

This article explores the characteristics of venture business and entrepreneurs in Korea to (1) identify technology transfer activities, (2) analyze the differences between technology transfer in linear and nonlinear venture businesses, and (3) guide more effective venture business policy and strategy. This empirical assessment reveals that entrepreneurs have insightful evaluations… Read More

The way to promote “inclusive development,” the process of development that includes every citizen in any country, has become a wide-ranging puzzle. These essays examine the role of education and the university in economic development. Contributors to this volume contend that “knowledge” – ideas, skills, and education – is increasingly… Read More

Despite the unprecedented development and growth of knowledge during the 20th century, the evolution of a peaceful 21st century will depend on our ability to address the challenges of prosperity, sustainability, and security. From these challenges, this collection seeks to devise a research agenda to help us to understand better… Read More

In view of the current socio-economic context, in which innovation is a key driving force for the sustainable development, which challenges are facing education and research to enhance and nurture innovation and better contribute to help developing and exploiting engineering, science and technology? This broad question has motivated the work… Read More

As the importance of knowledge creation and diffusion is increasingly recognized as a major driver of economic growth, questions are starting to emerge on how to establish the conditions that foster the processes of knowledge sharing across countries at different levels of development. Under the broad designation of “knowledge for… Read More

Explores Japan’s economic predicament and prospects for eventual recovery. Describes the origins of Japan’s economic issues and draws contrasts between Japan and America/Europe in terms of human resources, finance and politics. Offers three schools of thought on what will happen to Japan’s economic predicament in the coming years. Provides five… Read More

Argues that the principal contributor to changes in Japan’s political economy is the decline of Japanese governmental control over capital flows and foreign exchange rates brought about by structural “gaiatsu”, or direct foreign pressure. Differs from previous analysis of gaiatsu by arguing that international capital and market forces generate gaiatsu,… Read More

Argues that Japan has the potential to be recognized as a post-Cold War superpower, but has not been able to do so because of a lack of military/nuclear power and its alignment with the U.S. Discusses two security options, developing an offensive-oriented military and creating a new security paradigm based… Read More

Discusses three important questions and issues regarding Japan’s role in global environmental affairs: how the environmental movement has evolved in Japan; what the country’s major environmental policy challenges are on the local-national, regional and global level; and, how Japanese companies are responding to the sustainability challenge. Describes unresolved sustainability questions… Read More

Discusses, as an interim report by an academic involved in the emergency policy package to stabilize the Japanese financial system, the objective of the capital injection to 21 banks in March 1998, the merger package and ultimate failure of the Long-term Credit Bank in September 1998 and current policy efforts… Read More

In a presentation to the Southern Growth Policy Board’s 1997 Conference on the Future of the South, argues that partnership, including Public Private Partnerships, for the 21st century needs to be about winning combinations. Describes the change in resources that generate, prosperity, jobs and meaningful futures from natural endowments and… Read More

Discusses a new trend among Japan’s giant electronics and telecommunications companies and ministries: a concerted effort to develop a multimedia society like the one growing in the U.S. Describes efforts by Japanese computer and electronics conglomerates to promote multimedia by creating multimedia divisions, acquiring new media technology through joint ventures,… Read More