This aspect acquires special importance because 

 the NPO is intended to serve as the S&T center for 

 the branch or subbranch in its specialty. In fact, 

 this is seen as a distinguishing feature of the NPO, 

 differentiating it from a production association and 

 other research and production complexes which may 

 also contain R&D units. As branch S&T centers, NPOs 

 are assigned several important tasks: long-range 

 planning of the main directions of research; devel- 

 oping forecasts and programs to solve basic S&T prob- 

 lems in the branch, especially those related to im- 

 proving production efficiency and product quality; 

 and making recommendations about the use of R&D re- 

 sults in both the branch and the economy as a whole. 

 NPOs are expected to coordinate scientific research, 

 experimental design, and engineering work done by 

 other organizations and production associations, re- 

 gardless of the departmental subordination of these 

 units. In addition, they perform other branchwide 

 services, such as supplying S&T information, doing 

 economic analysis and engineering feasibility stud- 

 ies, col -toting work on patents and licensing, set- 

 ting branchwide technical standards, forecasting the 

 demand for new products and processes, and providing 

 management training and advice on production organi- 

 zation with respect to new technology. The associa- 

 tions are also expected to develop and provide spe- 

 cial services for introducing new technology, its as- 

 sembly, start-up, and adjustment at other enterprises 

 and organizations.-^ In providing these functions, 

 the NPO clearly assumes (or shares) certain of the 

 responsibilities formerly held by the ministry tech- 

 nical administration and other staff agencies. 



To be sure, several NPOs do perform these tasks 

 and act as the principal organizers of technical prog- 

 ress in their branches. Soiuznauchplitprom plays this 

 role in the woodprocessing industry. One hundred and 

 five enterprises of the USSR Ministry of Timber and 

 Wood Processing Industry and 67 enterprises of other 

 ministries produce items developed by the NPO. Mikro- 

 bioprom is the S&T headquarters for the microbiologi- 

 cal industry. More than 70 enterprises work on pro- 

 jects originating at the association. Plastpolimer 



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