Advanced Technology Use in Canadian Manufacturing Establishments

Abstract

This paper investigates the characteristics of Canadian manufacturing plants that are related to the use of advanced technologies. The data used are taken from the 1989 Survey of Manufacturing Technology and are linked to administrative data taken from the Census of Manufacturers. Technology use is defined first as incidence (whether a technology is used) and second as intensity (the number of technologies used). These variables (incidence and intensity) are then related to a number of characteristics that represent the competencies of the plant reporting technology use--its size, the size of its owning enterprise, the recent growth of the plant, the number of industries in which its owning enterprise operates, its age, and nationality. The results are then compared to several recent U.S. studies.

JEL Classification: L23, L60