The proposal is to research and write a book that traces a group of key microelectronic devices from their invention in the US in the 1960s, through their commercialization in Japan in the 1970s and 80s, to their application in multimedia computers in the 1990s. A new model of technological innovation is proposed which will illuminate the crucial role in this process played by individual Japanese entrepreneurs working at second-tier firms. It complements the conventional model, which posits as the main actors conglomerates operating under the guidance of governmental industrial policy. The model will be developed based on case studies derived from interviews with principal actors on both sides of the Pacific. The conclusions from the research will shed new light on the ongoing industrial policy debate . They should be of interest to policy makers, senior executives, business schools, and the general reader .