Barriers Against the Transfer of Knowledge Between Universities and the Industry in Newly-Industrialised Countries - An Analysis of the Regional Innovation System of Bangkok

This paper presents empirical evidence on university-industry relations (UIR) and knowledge transfer in the regional innovation system of Bangkok and broaches the issue of adapting well-established concepts for the analysis of innovation processes in newly industrialising countries. The potential for UIR is restricted due to 1) a weak and fragmented innovation system, 2) low technological and absorptive capacities in the industrial sector, and 3) slowly improving research capabilities in the scientific sector. Hence the level of UIR in the regional innovation system of Bangkok is mainly limited to occasional and personal modes. It is suggested to strengthen the knowledge transfer capabilities within both actors and to establish effective mechanisms for bridging institutional barriers between academia and industry.

Trends in the Internationalisation of R&D: The German Perspective

In this paper we present latest facts about the R&D activities of German multinational companies abroad and R&D activities of foreign companies in Germany. These results confirm that Germany is still an attractive location for R&D activites of multinational companies in many technological fields. However, the internationalisation of R&D is closely linked with the internationalisation of sales and production. In the commonly accepted eclectic theoretical approach by Dunning direct investment is pushed by companies that have advantages over their competitors in the host countries, where also attractive locational advantages exist. Since R&D is a source of both ownership and locational advantages, it was suggested earlier that instead of owning a technological advantage, companies with technological weaknesses start R&D in countries, which possess a technological advantage, to get access to new technologies. In contrast we found that German firms prefer to do R&D abroad in technological fields in which they hold a technological lead, e.g. in chemicals, pharmaceuticals and motor vehicles, but that they tend to perform R&D in countries which are also strong in these fields. Our results suggest that in most cases it is not the technological superiority of the host country itself which is the decisive locational advantage to attract multinationals' R&D but the lead-market function of that country or region.Multinational company, R&D, Internationalisation

Offshoring, Extent of the Shadow Economy and Firm Performance. Evidence from Italy

Being the G-7 country with the largest shadow-economy share, we posit that Italy's manufacturing firms - to counter emerging economies' competition - could alternatively offshore or enter the shadow economy. Within this context, we investigate, in a sample of Italian firms, whether internationalised firms outperform purely domestic firms in terms of efficiency, innovativeness and skill composition. Using propensity-score-matching and difference-in-difference techniques we find evidence that: (i) offshoring impacts TFP negligibly but, (ii) labour cost relocation robustly causes offshoring; (iii) offshoring firms are more likely innovative and R&D-oriented; (iv) firms in high- shadow -economy provinces less likely offshore. It is also evidenced that the latter firms show lower TFP and R&D expenditure.trade integration; offshoring; empirics of global sourcing; shadow economy

National strategies for technology adoption in the industrial sector: Lessons of recent experience in the developing regions

human development, technology

Winners and losers in the global economy : recent trends in the international division of labour and policy challenges

Globalised markets and production patterns offer favourable opportunities to raise world income. Yet globalisation also fuels conflicts about the distribution of welfare gains within and across countries. Various developing economies are poorly prepared to meet the challenge of fiercer competition on world goods and factor markets. In industrialised countries, low-skilled workers face mounting adjustment pressures. Multilateral trade liberalisation represents a "win-win strategy", with only a few possible exceptions in the short run. The neomercantilist notion that the removal of trade barriers is a concession to foreign trading partners is grossly fallacious. Income gains are mainly due to the countries' own liberalisation measures. Developing countries could have raised their share in world welfare gains if they had committed themselves more strongly to binding trade liberalisation during the Uruguay Round negotiations. Foreign trade and direct investment patterns reveal that the international division of labour is progressing not only in a regional context but also on a truly global scale. The opportunities for new competitors for foreign capital and technology transfers depend on domestic economic policies in the first place. Exogenous factors such as the recent revival of regional integration, autonomous locational decisions taken by multilateral corporations, and technological developments cannot be blamed for failures in benefiting from globalisation. The strikingly different economic performance of developing countries in globalised markets and production is clearly related to the progress made with respect to macroeconomic stabilisation, physical and human capital formation, and openness towards world goods and capital markets. Asian-type success stories could be repeated elsewhere, once governments have become aware that they can no longer pursue economic policies of their own liking. The Triad of the EU, Japan and the United States will come under fiercer adjustment pressure if more developing countries become involved in globalisation. Industrialised countries have little choice but to promote human capital formation in order to strengthen their comparative advantages in skill-intensive lines of production. Adjustment needs have been handled most effectively in Japan so far. By contrast, high unemployment in the EU, especially of low-skilled workers, appears to be the price that has to be paid for insufficient wage flexibility and structural change. --

Globalisation of production and markets.

Internationale Arbeitsteilung; Direktinvestition; Internationale Unternehmenskooperation; Industriegüteraußenhandel; Internationaler Wettbewerb; Welt; EU-Staaten; USA; Japan;

Technology implementation barriers in the Malaysian herbal industry: A case study

Technology is an essential component in all types of organisations and most organisations have reasons to implement new technology. The most fundamental justification for new technology implementation is that the technology must be able to contribute to strong competitive advantages and also increase or create long-term profit. In most small and medium enterprises (SMEs), there are barriers or obstacles in implementing these technologies. This article report a study aimed in investigating barriers faced by the Malaysian herbal industry in implementing technologies in their factory. Most of the local herbal manufacturing firms are categorised as SMEs which are usually considered to be lagged behind larger companies in technology usage. As this was an exploratory research, a case study method was used as it gave in-depth explanation of the main barriers of technology implementation. The results suggested that the main constraint in implementing technologies are lack of technical specialists and financial, aid commitment from top management, low wage rate, and future demand uncertainties

Innovative Management in Subcontracting Business in Growing and Stagnating Economies

The worldwide economic recession demonstrates: innovations are needed to increase productivity and competitivity of enterprises, especially of subcontracting companies. The paper compares the subcontracting business at a boom- and recession-phase, mainly in Japan and Germany. For Japan the components of subcontracting systems are exposed by a static and dynamic view. Changes of subcontracting firms from dependent, but stable suppliers of parts and services to extremely dependent subcontractors are shown for Japan. European subcontracting companies are found being less dependent, or even independent, networking suppliers. The worldwide dynamic view demonstrates: innovative management enables SMEs of former LDCs to compete with subcontracting companies of developed countries. The economic recession, yet, endangers the stability of the subcontracting systems worldwide.new combinations of economic resources – types of subcontracting systems – economic recession – pressure to innovate – new risks and opportunities of subcontracting business.