Understanding of geographical patterns and processes related to industrial production has been limited to some extent because the focus of economic geographers has been on the material production of manufactured goods. Significant and rapidly growing sectors of the economy include industries that produce little tangible output, such as information and other intangible goods. Understanding the nature of the industries in these sectors involves consideration of different economic and spatial factors than those associated with traditional industries. This doctoral dissertation project will study the production process, product characteristics, and the spatial organization of production in the emerging field of knowledge- based systems (KBS), which are software systems designed specifically to encode and apply extensive and highly detailed factual data and techniques, usually of a scientific or technical nature. An extensive statistical database of KBS industries, surveys, and in-depth interviews will be used to increase understandings of the spatial configuration of KBS development. This project will provide valuable information about knowledge-based systems which soon will dominate computer- telecommunications industries, and it will add depth to the understanding of geographers and political economists about processes of industrial development. This project also will provide an excellent opportunity for a promising young scholar to continue to develop independent research skills.
