The Global-Local Interplay of MNE and Non-MNE Firms

During a sequence of decades we can observe a co-evolution of globalization through network formation of multinational (MNE) firms and concentration in specific places due to agglomerative forces. First, innovation ideas arrive at a faster speed to firms with past experience of innovation activities and with established export market contacts. Second, innovativeness is strongly dependent on corporate and ownership structure. Third, the returns to innovation efforts are positively influenced by firms’ capability to exploit extended markets. All these phenomena can be theoretically explained by MNE’s capacity to coordinate global supply chains and orchestrate localized R&D activities and knowledge flows. The paper illuminates how attributes of MNEs and non-MNEs differ, and how these differences affect the productivity and export intensity. It also shows how agglomeration economies affect MNEs and non-MNEs.