From new to the firm to new to the world. Effect of geographical proximity and technological capabilities on the degree of novelty in emerging economies

This paper investigates empirically what it takes for a firm to move from new to the firm to new to the domestic market and new to the world innovations. More specifically, the paper analyses the relationship between, on the one hand, the degree of novelty of product innovation and on the other hand the accumulation of technological capabilities at firm level as well as the geographical spread of the innovation activities of the firm. The analysis is based on a unique firm level data collected in Pune(India) and Beijing (China) in 2008. The paper shows that the role of the region supporting the move from new to the firm to new to the world is limited. In order to achieve a higher degree of innovation global networks are more important than local networks.degree of novelty; technological capabilities; technological sourcing; research collaboration; region

Different competences, different modes in the globalization of innovation?. A comparative study of the Pune and Beijing regions

Since the seminal work of Archibugi and Michie (1995) on the globalization of innovation, several authors have tried to understand the complex relationship between innovation and internationalization, mainly using firm or sectoral level data. However, most of them tend to focus on just one form of globalization of innovation – exploitation of technology, research collaboration or offshoring of R&D – and often One traditional indicator of innovation, like patents or R&D investments, thus ignoring the complexity of the phenomenon. Furthermore, little attention has been paid to the interplay of the micro characteristics of firms, the region in which they are embedded and different forms of globalization of innovation. Our paper is based on three distinct modes of globalization of innovation: global exploitation of innovation, global sourcing of technology and global research collaboration, thus adapting Archibugi and Michie’s taxonomy to a developing country context. We then use this taxonomy to explore empirically the linkages of firm-level competences, the nature of the international activities and the region in which the firms are located: Pune in India and Beijing in China. We use primary data on the two regions to show that the Pune region is specialized in the three types of globalization of innovation, and in particular in the exploitation of innovation more than Beijing. A deeper analysis of the micro characteristics of the firms shows that the three modes of globalization of innovation are associated to different competences. Firms with technological and organizational competences show a higher propensity to develop international linkages, while firms with a high level of educated human resources seems to focus more on the domestic market.globalization; innovation; regions; competences; China; India

Do regions make a difference? Exploring the role of different regional innovation systems in global innovation networks in the ICT industry

The access to global innovation networks (GINs) has been extremely unequal across regions around the globe. While certain regions are considered knowledge hubs, able to link to global knowledge flow, other still remain marginalized, pointing out to the role of regional innovation systems in the emergence and development of GINs. Using firm-level data collected through a survey and case studies in 2009-2010, this article systematically compares the patterns of global networks in the ICT industry in a selection of European and non-European regions. Contrary to what we expected, the results show that GINs may emerge in regions which are neither too innovative nor institutionally thick (like Tier 1) nor too thin (like Tier 3).globalization; innovation networks; regions; Europe; India China

Beyond Local: The Role of National Innovation Networks Within the 4th IR

Within the 4th industrial revolution (IR), firms’ linkages to global knowledge are considered key to improving the innovation capabilities and competitiveness of firms embedded in local industrial districts (IDs). So far, most of the analyses have focused on the complementarity and integration between local and global networks, which have somehow over-shadowed the national dimension of production and innovation processes. With special reference to mechatronics producers, recent trends of Italian firms exploit the critical role of national innovation networks for firms within local systems. In this sense, the national dimension plays a key role in defining the quality and direction of the competitive models of ID firms integrating within global value chains

Oligarchic place leadership and resistance to change in industrial districts

The capability of local productive systems to react positively to disruptive challenges, entering new paths of development, depends on the presence of supportive local institutions,organizationsand actors.A quite recent literature points out the key support given to path transformation by sets of local actors expressing a place leadership (PL). With a focus on industrial districts (IDs), characterized by a manufacturing specialization and a decentralized business organization based on SMEs, the paper aims at exploring conditions of a PLresisting change. We develop a conceptual frame that enablesthe identification of three different types of PL: open PL, corporate PL, and oligarchic PL. Specifically, oligarchic PLallowsto reflect onmodels of developments and structural conditionswhere changes to meet disruptive challengescould beintentionally obstructed. In this regard, the paper provides someconsiderations andexampleson how a model deviating from the canonical ID of local developmentand expressing an oligarchicPLcould drivelocal productive systems through lock-in conditions

The changing geography of innovation: Chinese and Indian regions and the global flows of innovation

Despite the recent theoretical and empirical advancements in the geography of innovation literature regarding the role that global sources of knowledge may have for regional growth and development, research in this field remains focused on successful regions and clusters in developed countries. Hitherto there has been limited research on the role of regions located in developing countries and the different types of global flows of innovation that link firms located in those regions with the rest of the world. Furthermore, most of the geography of innovation literature remains at the meso level (regional and sectorial), and almost ignores the interplay with firm-level characteristics. Using an interdisciplinary perspective, the thesis contributes to the literature by combining the geography of innovation studies with international business and innovation studies to integrate the meso dimension with the global and micro dimensions. The thesis investigates how certain regions in emerging economies are changing the geography of innovation. More specifically, this thesis aims to investigate the role of the region as well as of firm level factors, especially resources and capabilities, in explaining and sustaining firms\u2019 innovation performances and their possible modes of participation in the globalization of innovation

International Competitive Strategy Choices: Comparing Firms in China and India

The international business literature has yet to adequately explore international competitive strategy choices made by firms in developing countries. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the types of international competitive strategies followed by Chinese and Indian firms. Using firm-level primary data, the study analyzes factors that affect strategy choices and whether these factors differ between the two countries. The empirical results indicate that besides cost leadership strategies, firms have already developed international differentiation strategies and strategies combining cost and differentiation advantages (hybrid strategies). This confirms that firms from China and India are moving to international markets not only because of their low cost advantage but also because they are upgrading their capabilities to compete in the global market. The study highlights the fact that firms’ resources and capabilities influence firms’ propensity to choose a specific international competitive strategy and that the strategies can also differ in relation to the destination market. In general, the pursuit of well-articulated international competitive strategies (in particular differentiation strategy) is more common among Indian firms than among Chinese firms.

Transformative paths, multi-scalarity of knowledge bases and Industry 4.0

This chapter discusses the role of combinatorial knowledge and its multi- scalarity in shaping the transformation paths of local productive systems (LPSs) that are affected by the gales of contemporary technological change. Specifically, we look at how access to – and the combination of – different knowledge bases at different territorial scales (local/ regional, national, international/ global) can support different paths of industrial upgrading for LPSs in the face of the challenges posed by Industry 4.0 (I4.0)

The Evolution of Technological Space and Firms’ Workforce Composition in a Manufacturing Region

The development of the technological space of a manufacturing region relates to its human capital. However, the dynamic relation between local firms’ workforce composition and their adoption of Industry 4.0 enabling technologies over time is still under investigated. The paper contributes to filling this gap analysing the relation over 10 years between technology adoption and the occupational choices of 1800 firms from one of the most industrialized regions of Italy: the Veneto Region. The results from descriptive as well as inferential analysis show that such relational dynamics are a multifaceted phenomenon, presenting a series of counterintuitive features

Fuori dalla crisi: la capacità competitiva delle imprese del distretto della meccatronica vicentina

Obiettivo del paper: L’obiettivo del presente lavoro è di analizzare la capacità competitiva post crisi delle imprese appartenenti al settore della meccatronica vicentina, strategico oggi per l’industria 4.0 e valutare in un contesto distrettuale quali siano le caratteristiche delle imprese più performanti. Metodologia: L’articolo si basa su dati originali raccolti nei primi mesi del 2017 su una popolazione di imprese della meccatronica. L’analisi empirica viene svolta attraverso l’utilizzo di statistica descrittiva e lo sviluppo di un modello econometrico. Considerazioni estrapolate da alcune interviste qualitative sul territorio integrano l’analisi di natura più quantitativa. Risultati: Il lavoro sottolinea importanti aspetti della competitiva post crisi del sistema distrettuale e suggerisce che per sostenere una capacità competitiva spendibile non è necessario essere grandi né è sufficiente investire solo negli aspetti di innovazione organizzativa e di marketing. Meccanismi virtuosi si sviluppano quando si introducono innovazioni con un alto grado di ‘novelty’, si formalizzano i processi di innovazione attraverso l’attività di brevettazione, si investe in risorse umane da usare nelle attività innovative e di interfaccia e si sviluppano rapporti di rete sul mercato globale. Limiti della ricerca: La valutazione di alcune performance aziendali si basa sulla valutazione fornita dall’imprenditore stesso o da un dirigente con conoscenze approfondite dell’azienda. L’analisi empirica permette di investigare la relazione fra le variabili ma non fornisce indicazioni sulla causalità. Ricerche future potrebbero essere indirizzate ad integrare la ricerca con ulteriori indicatori statistici di natura più oggettiva e relativi agli anni subito seguenti l’indagine. Implicazioni pratiche: L’articolo contribuisce a fornire un benchmark agli imprenditori locali fornendo indicazioni sull’andamento delle imprese del sistema. Esso provvede inoltre a dare indicazioni sui fattori che sembrano sostenere al meglio la capacità competitiva post crisi. Originalità del paper: Il lavoro si basa su dati originali che danno nuove indicazioni sui trend performativi delle imprese all’interno di un sistema ad impresa diffusa. In particolare il lavoro permette di mettere in relazione la capacità competitiva post crisi delle imprese con alcune caratteristiche delle imprese stesse, la loro attività di innovazione e la capacità di sviluppare rapporti con il sistema locale e con imprese e organizzazioni a livello internazionale