Manufacturers' response to the needs of users of integrated membrane technology

The environmental and innovative potential of integrated technologies, which prevent environmental problems at source, is not yet put to sufficient use. Although capital and scientific resources are necessary, they alone will not suffice to bring about an improvement of these technologies. In the framework of basic strategic theory, the interactions of manufacturers (for technology development) with scientists and engineering firms and the integration of users in the development determine a successful R&D and the implementation of integrated technologies. In the present paper, the authors introduce a modelling approach to provide the basis to investigate interactions between suppliers and the users of integrative technologies. The analysis of the results of a case study using this modelling approach shows the variety of relations between users and plant manufacturers. The internal structure and strategies of these relations differ according to case and technology, and should be studied at the micro-level.