Very small manufacturing companies make up an important element of the UK's manufacturing economy. However, relatively few of these companies make any systematic use of design automation tools. This paper outlines two case studies of very small companies introducing such tools through the agency of formal technology transfer arrangements with a collaborating university. The paper presents a discussion of the issues to be considered by universities and colleges when assisting such companies in the implementation of systems for design automation. The paper also offers an assessment of the effectiveness of the particular technology transfer and training processes used in the studies.
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