On the future of international joint venture research

International joint ventures (IJVs) are an important type of international strategic alliance (ISA) and have been studied by scholars for decades, resulting in a plethora of empirical studies, publications, and reviews, yet an inadequate accumulation of knowledge exists, as a closer look reveals. Much more than providing a summary and critical assessment of past contributions, this paper develops an expansive research agenda based upon a deep understanding of past research and comprehensive frameworks that distill this research. We identify a number of research opportunities that would not only advance IJV research but also closely related literatures and disciplines such as ISAs, theories of the multinational firm, international business research, and strategic management

Changing perspectives on the internationalization of R&D and innovation by multinational enterprises: a review of the literature

Internationalization of R&D and innovation by Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) has undergone a gradual and comprehensive change in perspective over the past 50 years. From sporadic works in the late 1950s and in the 1960s, it became a systematically analysed topic in the 1970s, starting with pioneering reports and “foundation texts”. Our review unfolds the theoretical and empirical evolution of the literature from dyadic interpretations of centralization versus decentralization of R&D by MNEs to more comprehensive frameworks, wherein established MNEs from Advanced Economies still play a pivotal role, but new players and places also emerge in the global generation and diffusion of knowledge. Hence views of R&D internationalization increasingly rely on concepts, ideas and methods from IB and other related disciplines such as industrial organization, international economics and economic geography. Two main findings are highlighted. First, scholarly research pays an increasing attention to the network-like characteristics of international R&D activities. Second, different streams of literature have emphasized the role of location- specific factors in R&D internationalization. The increasing emphasis on these aspects has created new research opportunities in some key areas, including inter alia: cross-border knowledge sourcing strategies, changes in the geography of R&D and innovation, and the international fragmentation of production and R&D activities

Management produktbegleitender Dienstleistungen: Konzepte und Praxisbeispiele für Technik, Organisation und Personal in serviceorientierten Industriebetrieben

Für produzierende Unternehmen wird es zunehmend wichtig, als umfassende Problemlöser für ihre Kunden aufzutreten. Zentrales Element einer solchen Strategie ist die Erweiterung des Leistungsangebots um produktbegleitende Dienstleistungen. Dabei stellt sich für die Industriebetriebe die Frage, welche technischen, organisatorischen und personellen Maßnahmen die Erbringung von Dienstleistungen besonders fördern. Die Autoren stellen Lösungsansätze vor und belegen die Durchführbarkeit dieser Ansätze durch Realisierungsbeispiele aus der industriellen Praxis. Dadurch ist das Buch eine wichtige Informationsgrundlage für Praktiker in der Industrie ebenso wie für Wissenschaftler, die sich mit industriellen Serviceleistungen beschäftigen

Flexible Thin-Film Temperature Sensors on Upcycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Substrates for the Circularity of Economy

The use of plastics for daily life applications keeps rising rapidly making these polymers a material of choice in many fields, including electronics. Nevertheless, the pollution generated from the fabrication, usage and disposal of plastics has become an environmental problem that is impacting most of the ecosystems in our planet. Efforts are being made to reduce the impact plastics have in nature, with recycling and upcycling as promising approaches that not only reduce the harm plastics to the biosphere, but also help in developing a circular model for the usage of these organic polymers. In this work, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was recycled from commercial beverage bottles to create a sustainable substrate for the fabrication of thin-film electronics. As an application for the substrate, temperature sensors were developed and their response was analyzed over a temperature range from 5 °C to 65 °C with a temperature coefficient resistance (α) = 0.002 °C-1, used to measure the temperature of commercial bottle beverages. The development of these substrates provides a second life to the PET from bottles, paving the way for the sustainable and circular usage of plastic as substrates for thin-film electronic devices and a reduction of the negative effects their presence and footprint have in nature