more effectively, domestic institutions will need to be 

 strengthened. We reco m mend , for example, that the 

 United states seek to make better use of the Department 

 of Transportation's new Transportation System Center 

 (Cambridge, Mass.)- This is a broad-gauged center for 

 transport research, training, and information analysis 

 and dissemination, but its work is presently oriented 

 primarily toward highly technical research on short- 

 term transport problems, mostly in the United States. 

 The Center's work would be enriched by the addition of 

 economists and social scientists and by the ability to 

 draw on and contribute to research and experience 

 worldwide. The Transportation Research Board of the 

 National Research Council, with appropriate support, 

 could also provide continuing help for the purposes of 

 the 1979 Conference by furthering the development of 

 reciprocal relations with other countries and 

 participating in international technical exchange. 



Some government aid to university transportation 

 centers is being provided through the Office of the 

 Secretary, Department of Transportation. But this 

 program has opted for distributing limited resources 

 over a large number of recipients rather than building 

 up a small number of highly competent centers. We 

 believe that AID might help overcome this situation by 

 providing funds for centers willing to give greater 

 attention to the economic development aspects of 

 transportation and to the creation of curricula 

 relevant to the training of students from developing 

 countries . 



Building Industrial Support for Transp o rt . In the 

 United States, Europe, and Japan, the complex of 

 industries and services supporting the transportation 

 sector constitute a major source of jobs and economic 

 stimulus. Automotive industries are particularly 

 powerful factors in the development process. 

 Developing nations, with 70 percent of the world's 

 population, have only 15 percent of the world's motor 

 vehicles. As their road network expands, their needs 

 for mobility will create heavy demands for equipment. 

 Yet few of these countries are prepared to manufacture 

 the components that will be required. 



The establishment of a domestic motor vehicle 

 industry could be a key element in the economic 

 development of some developing nations. The obvious 

 purposes are to raise the overall level of 

 industrialization, to stimulate construction of the 

 highway network, to create a system of suppliers and 

 supporting industries, and to provide employment and 

 wages for prospective domestic customers. More 

 specifically, the formation of a domestic vehicle 

 industry would give developing countries new 

 opportunities for self-help in economic growth and 



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