An R&D consortium is a strategic tool to improve a country's global competitiveness. We explore the policy design of the American Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) Program from a perspective of network organization mechanism. Taking two consortia of the Program as examples, this paper aims to analyze the R&D and governance networks of the consortia by highlighting the special role of network forms of organization in enhancing national innovation capacity. The American experiences in the development of R&D consortia are summarized with policy recommendations on accelerating the development of R&D consortia in China.

American Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia Program  /  industrial technology alliance  /  network organization mechanism