Michael Best has worked with numerous agencies and governments
to construct and implement bottom-up programs for production
upgrading and technology management. These include the United
Nations Industrial Development Organization in Cyprus, Jamaica,
Honduras, and Malaysia, the United Nations Development Program
in India, the Merrimack Valley Manufacturing Extension Program in
Massachusetts, and the World Bank in Moldova. He was on the
Advisory Panel for the 1996 Human Development Report of the
United Nations.  

“Rethinking Regional Renewal: Towards a Cross-Border Economic
Development Zone” (with John Bradley). The Journal of Cross
Border Studies in Ireland, No. 7, Spring 2012: 37-58. http://www.
crossborder.ie/pubs/journal7.pdf

The Capabilities and Innovation Perspective: The Way Ahead in
Northern Ireland. Belfast: Northern Ireland Economic Council, 2000,
115 pages.
http://www.niec.org.uk/documents/WayAheadInNorthernIreland.pdf

For a statement by the council see:
http://www.niec.org.uk/documents/CouncilStatement.pdf   

Comments by six experts on implementation of the above
monograph titled ‘Implementation of The Capabilities and Innovation
Perspective: The Way Ahead in Northern Ireland-Informed
Commentaries’. Occasional Paper 15: March 2003. Belfast:
Northern Ireland Economic Council, 73 pages.
http://www.niec.org.uk/documents/OCCASIONALPAPER15.pdf

Malaysian Electronics: At the Crossroads. Vienna: United Nations
Industrial Development Organization, October 2003, 84 pages (with
Rajah Rasiah).
http://www.unido.org/file-storage/download/?file%5fid=21305

“Production in Jamaica: Transforming Industrial Enterprises". In
Patsy Lewis (ed), Preparing for the Twenty-First Century: Jamaica
30th Anniversary Symposium (Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle
Publishers, 1994) (with Robert Forrant) pp. 53 - 97. This paper
reports on modernization programs in the Jamaican furniture,
plastics, and metalworking industries. Available from the author.

"The Jute Diversification Project: Developing a Sector Strategy
Consistent with the New Principles of Production and Organization:
Report to the Government of India and the United Nations
development Program", September 1993, 48 pages (with William
Lazonick and Sukant Tripathy). Available from the author.

"Plastics in Massachusetts with Special Emphasis on the Merrimack
Valley" report to the Merrimack Valley Manufacturing Partnership,
Lowell, Massachusetts, 1994.

With Professor Tea Petrin, Best was involved in a series of projects
in Slovenia over a fifteen year period. These have included the
implementation of production restructuring programs and the
development of technology roadmap networks.

Michael Best periodically presents workshops on production
modernization for industrial development practitioners. A two week
session, funded by the Soros Foundation and the World Bank, was
conducted for policymakers from the ex-Soviet Union republics. A
three day session titled Workshop on Technology Management
Capabilities was given at the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization and is in UNIDO Training Workshop2.
Industrial Modernization