They followed the Japanese model of the 50s with transistor technology, American companies were making expensive ones for the military and the Japanese developed mass-produced ones for the consumer market and markets for components etc. This was a MITI government policy after the Sony guys brought the transistor to Japan. They anticipated the changes in electronics technology and supported the industry to fruition in a fiercely competitive domestic market first. The US allowed this mercantilist policy for Japan and Korea as part of the cold war effort to make strong allies and leverage cheap labor. Intellectual property laws were given a pass by America too as the technology developed.
My experience competing with Japanese companies in high tech was that they couldn't keep up with us. Yes, once the technology became stable and all of the problems were solved, they held an advantage but on the steep part of the "s" curve, we were always first. First in product intro, first in patents, first in trade secrets. We always ate the lunch of companies like Hitachi, who didn't have the skill sets when it came to introducing new tech in new products and dealing with problems while introducing them to early adopters who tolerate product issues more than the average consumer. They are also willing to pay more for them.
Where the US capitalist model sucks is when the profit margins starts shrinking after the tech is stable. Semiconductors are a good example. Japan took over the market after semiconductors were no longer leading edge and customers started valuing volume, quality and reliability.
Everything is driven by profits. Technology follows the profitability s-curve shown in the lower right. Battery technology isn't just one tech. There will be wave after wave of battery technologies, each one will follow the same curve. At first, negative profits, if the tech is accepted in the market, growth will be rapid and wild profits follow. Japan got into semiconductors at the early maturity stage and with favorable deals from with the Japanese government, banks, etc, as well as stupid moves by US managers and government officials who thought we could just develop the next new thing and sold the developed tech, we lost our edge, lost the ability to manufacture semiconductors and eventually became an r&d hub for asian companies who were willing to manufacture semiconductors in high volumes with high quality but thin profit margins.
The S Curve as applied to innovation and patents. The most valuable patents are not necessarily the first ones.
blueironip.com
The US can innovate and develop new tech like no other nation. What Biden's Inflation Reduction Act does is replicate what Japanese and Chinese governments did to foster manufacturing of those products after the tech was mature. It's only going to last if the administration and public are willing to invest in the manufacturing of those products. Biden is. MAGA GOP will not. The vision does not succeed on four year cycles, so I'm hoping we have a longer run at it by voting in Democratic administrations for at least the next 12 years.
oilprice.com
www.theguardian.com
www.deccanherald.com
www.iflscience.com
www.nanograf.com
cleantechnica.com