Dear all,  
  
This concept was widely used by Japanese bureaucrats in the 1960s in the   
context of industrial policies in Japan. Indeed, it is well-known that it  
was one of the basic concepts of the Japanese MITI. Although German as  
well as American connections are not clear, it is possible that the  
concept was taken from some foreign literature. Or was it a made-in-Japan  
product?  
  
Yukihiro Ikeda