This paper focuses on SMEs for whom ICTs are a central, core technology. I argue that globalisation has profoundly affected the way in which SMEs organise their R&D activities. On the one hand, SMEs have always sought to specialise in niches, given their limited resources. As such, their role as...

This paper first develops an explanation for the increasing popularity of strategic technology alliances, both globally, and by EU firms. It then evaluates, using data over the period 1980-1994, how private, non-subsidised cooperative agreements in R&D by EU firms has evolved, paying particular...

This paper seeks to broaden our understanding of the concept underlying absorptive capacity at the macro–level, paying particular attention to the growth and development perspectives. We provide definitions of absorptive and technological capacity, external technology flows, productivity...

Over the last decade or so, multinational enterprises (MNEs) have shifted from centralised hub structures to multi-hub structures. While these new structures provide greater potential for cross-fertilization of technologies and access to locationspecific competences, promoting effective...

The growth of collaborative activity is greatly influenced by the process of globalisation. This paper focuses on the narrow area of collaborative R&D activity, and takes a ‘macro’ view of the effects of these developments. Globalisation has affected the need of firms to collaborate, in that...

This paper examines the phenomenon of home base augmenting (HBA) R&D and home base exploiting (HBE) R&D. It has three novelties. First, we argue that any given R&D facility’s capacity to exploit and/or augment technological competences is a function not just of its own resources, but the...

Globalisation has systemically affected the way all firms undertake innovation. First, there has been a growing use of non-internal technology development, both by outsourcing and strategic alliances. Second, products are increasingly multi-technology. This has led to the growing use of networks...

Globalisation has systemically affected the way firms undertake innovation. First, there has been a growing use of non-internal technology development, both by outsourcing and strategic alliances. Second, there has been a increasing of cross-fertilization of technologies, such that products are...