is the leading center for plastics and has overall 

 responsibility for high pressure polyethelenes, poly- 

 styrenes, f luoro-plastics, and polyvinylacetates . Be- 

 tween 1969 and 1973 the NPO introduced 117 innovations 

 into Soviet industry. In the cryogenic engineering 

 industry nearly 90 percent of all machinery and equip- 

 ment produced is based on designs developed at the in- 

 dustry' s NPO Kriogenmash . In radio electronics Pozi- 

 tron is the S&T center. 51 



At the same time, it is also clear that not all 

 NPOs serve as S&T centers for their branches. Some 

 associations serve only a few enterprises and contain 

 very small R&D units. Others that do exercise branch- 

 wide functions do not provide all the special services 

 mentioned above. Some NPOs are unable to perform 

 broad S&T tasks either because they lack a research 

 institute or the one they have is not the leading link 

 in the association.-^ 



These basic differences in perception and practice 

 determine the structure of science-production asso- 

 ciations. Table 11-2 shows the structural makeup of 

 15 leading NPOs. All these associations contain both 

 a scientific research institute and a series produc- 

 tion unit. Thirteen have an experimental production 

 capability. Other evidence suggests, however, a less 

 uniform picture for the NPOs as a whole. In a study 

 of 40 NPOs, Kushlin notes that 10 percent had no se- 

 ries production unit while 8 percent lacked a scien- 

 tific research subdivision. Eighteen or 45 percent of 

 the NPOs had no experimental production or testing fa- 

 cility .53 



Particularly absent, it seems, are facilities such 

 as start-up and adaptation organizations and training 

 centers which can promote more rapidly and effective- 

 ly the utilization of R&D results. A few NPOs, like 

 Pishchepr omav t oma t ika (food processing) , Soiuznauch- 

 plitprom , and Impuls (computers) , have established 

 special services that help introduce new products and 

 processes directly at client enterprises and train 

 their personnel in the use and repair of equipment. 

 At series plants of their branches other associations 



212 





