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Technology transfer to what we refer to as the LDC (Lesser Developed Countries) is and should be an ongoing process in which the automotive engineers of the more advanced countries take pride in sharing their accomplishments, provided they are not of a proprietary nature. The theme of the Seventh International Pacific Conference (IPC-7) on Automotive Engineering is “GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE INTEGRATION”. That theme is synonymous with the term ‘technology transfer’ in every sense of the word. To transfer technology is to integrate. Much of the technology transfer throughout the world is via the academic system because it is seldom considered proprietary at that level. Once the engineer and his technology become the property of private enterprise or a government, the technology transfer tends to cease. However, in the case of manufacturer's joint ventures with companies in the LDC, a certain amount of technology is transmitted as a matter of necessity.

In the design studios of today's automotive companies, there is always a need for the engineer who finds great pleasure and satisfaction in working with the designer or artist to help make those futuristic sketches a reality. The category often assigned to this type of engineer is that of ‘Technical Stylist’. But a great many of the newly formed design studios of the last decade or so, do not incorporate the engineers or technical stylists within the same environs as the designers and clay modelers. In too many cases, the engineering support group is in another area completely remote of the design activity. In this paper, we will trace the origin of the Technical Stylist and how that person fits into the modern studio of the 90's to help erase any demarcation that may exist--another step toward “Bringing The Designer And Engineer Together” as we leap into the year 2000.