Innovation and business partnering in Japan, Europe and the United States

"Collaborative alliances and business partnering offer a real alternative to mergers and acquisitions (M & A) as strategies for driving innovation and growth, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they allow companies with limited resources to embark on the necessary research and development and find new markets. This book examines the role of business partnering as a pathway to innovation for SMEs, assessing the different models of business partnering in Japan, Europe and the United States." "It argues the SMEs will make or break the future of Europe and that a new model based on partnering for new ventures, high-technology and older non-tech companies is the only way forward. Using much material not examined before in English, it also reveals how important the SME sector is for Japan, and explains the different models the Japanese are pursuing to strengthen their SME sector. One of these models, innovation clustering, is akin to the American model, which has, through a series of partner relationships between private and public sectors at the local, national and federal level, provided SMEs with the financial and infrastructural support to drive the internal growth that prevents them from being absorbed by larger companies through M & A, which occur regularly in Europe." "Overall, this book offers new perspectives on internal growth in SMEs, showing that high growth can be derived in any sector at all levels of technological advancement. It is essential reading for business people, economists, public administrators, managers and country specialists."--Jacket