Abstract
SEMATECH (SEmiconductor MAnufacturing TECHnology) was established in 1987 as a not-for-profit research consortium with an original mission to provide a pilot manufacturing facility where member companies could improve their semiconductor manufacturing process technology. Since its inception, SEMATECH's mission has become more general. This paper presents the findings from a quantitative case-based analysis of the returns to member companies from their investments in SEMATECH. The findings suggest that SEMATECH has provided an organizational structure in which important processes and technologies have been advanced which could not have been justified on economic grounds outside of a collaborative research arrangement.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beecy, Laura L., Albert N. Link, William F. Finan, and David J. Teece (1994) ‘Quantifying the Private Rates of Return to Collaborative Research: The Case of SEMATECH’, mimeo.
Grindley, Peter, David C. Mowery, and Brian Silverman (1994) ‘SEMATECH and Collaborative Research: Lessons in the Design of a High-Technology Consortia’, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 13, 723–785.
Irwin, Douglas A. and Peter J. Klenow (1994) ‘High Tech R&D Subsidies: Estimating the Effects of SEMATECH’, NBER Working Paper 4974.
Leyden, Dennis P. and Albert N. Link (1992) Government's Role in Innovation, Boston, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Link, Albert N. (1996) Evaluating Public Sector Research and Development, Boston, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Tassey Gregory (1992) Technology Infrastructure and Competitive Advantage, Boston, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Teece, David J. (1994) ‘Information Sharing, Innovation, and Antitrust’, Antitrust Law Journal, 62, 465–481.
U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) (1992) ‘SEMATECH's Technological Progress and Proposed R&D Program’, Briefing Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Defense, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through a grant to the Center for Research in Management at the University of California at Berkeley. We gratefully acknowledge the full cooperation of management at SEMATECH by providing crucial access to key individuals and requisite data. Extremely useful comments on the material summarized came from David Mowery, and Brian Silverman, both of the University of California at Berkeley, and Laura Bauer Beecy. The conclusions presented in this paper, which draws directly from Beecy, Link, Finan, and Teece (1994), are those of the authors and not of SEMATECH or the University of California at Berkeley. In addition, John T. Scott of Dartmouth College provided excellent editorial suggestions.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Link, A.N., Teece, D.J. & Finan, W.F. Estimating the benefits from collaboration: The case of SEMATECH. Rev Ind Organ 11, 737–751 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214832
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214832