Japanese technology was introduced through alliances with U.S. and European companies, from which the Japanese companies have transferred both good and bad habits. While the U.S. seems to still have opportunities in automotive applications, Japan appears to be stymied by recycling concerns. Japan is quite aggressive in this industrial field. Many cost-driven applications are being tried. In contrast to the U.S., where the construction industry is fragmented, the Japanese opportunities in civil engineering applications are many and varied.
Materials There is still a large effort to introduce pitch carbon fiber into applications.
The economics are still mysterious, however. Similarly, high temperature resins are getting much attention. In contrast to the U.S. approach of developing computational models to understand processes better, Japanese manufacturing science appears to reside in experienced workers who develop understanding of the processes over long periods of time. Product and Process Development Methods Japanese product and process development methods use concurrent engineering by definition. Japanese teams have developed the human factors issues far beyond those in the West.