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    "label": "\"History of the Technical Assistance Programs of the Marshall Plan and Successor Agencies, 1948-1961\"",
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    "ocrText": "- 83 -\nH.\nIndustrial Design and Packaging Centers\n1.\nTaiwan, Korea, Israel, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan\n8.31\nAnother program of specialized Technical Assistance was launched in 1956 to establish\nIndustrial Design Centers in countries producing industrial and agricultural products, in which the state of\npackaging, product labels, and advertising did not meet world trade design standards. The objectives of these\nprograms were to expand exports and internal sales by improving product design and utility, labeling, and\npackaging. Even in Italy and Germany in the immediate post-World War II years, designs of some important\nexport products were so antiquated and far from contemporary world taste that an extensive effort was\nrequired by American and Scandinavian industrial design consulting firms to modernize some products. A\nnumber of nations had limited market access because of the lack of domestic expertise in this area.\n8.32\nIn industrially developed nations great emphasis is placed on product design, labeling and\npackaging. Enterprises do this work both by in-plant design staffs and by employing the services of industrial\ndesign consulting firms. Such consulting firms normally undertake design work ranging from heavy industrial\ngoods, to buildings, aircraft interiors, and household products. In some nations such as Britain some help is\nafforded through their national design display centers. Few developing nations had the skilled staffs, resources\nor background to establish National Design Centers or train in-plant design groups. To meet this need, this\nprogram sought to establish National Design Centers with staffs and facilities to offer world-class assistance\nto companies requesting help.\n8.33\nA number of the largest U.S. industrial design firms were enlisted to establish small but\ncompetent central facilities, with resident U.S. design personnel who worked with and trained local personnel\nin this specialized field. In very short periods the products of some nations, together with product labeling\nand packaging, reached world standards with significant increases in local sales and exports. Programs of this\ntype were established in Iran, Israel, Greece, Taiwan, Korea, Pakistan, and other countries.⁸\nI.\nForeign Investment Promotion Centers\n1.\nTaiwan (1959), India (1957)\n8.34\nBy the late 1950s it was apparent to many developing nations that conventional channels of\nprivate investment, including that by the largest international companies, accounted for a fraction of sought-for\nlevels of foreign investment. This low foreign investment flow was widespread with the exception of firms\nseeking to exploit large natural resources of minerals, timber, oil, or a few other raw materials. In many\nrespects during this period, firms in developed nations were parochial in exploring potential offshore facilities,\noutsourcing, and manufacturing opportunities. Developing countries realized that even with maximum private\n81/\nFor example, see Peter Muller-Munk Associates, Report on the Israel Product Design Office,\nPittsburgh, 1960.\nTRUMAN NARA URRANA"
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