Collaborating to Compete: A Search into Capabilities and Strategic Alliances in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Athough there is a profusion of studies related to strategic alliances and technological capacities which evaluate the issues individually, there is a scarcity of studies with empirical evidence relative to the implications of strategic alliances at the technological capacity configuration. Drawing on a scrutiny of specialised databases (Galé, Dialog, and Business & Industry) covering the 1993-2003 period, this article examines the entry and exit composition of innovative capabilities of 25 pharmaceutical companies’ capabilities involved in such alliances. They are organised in three groups: (i) large pharmaceutical companies (‘big-pharma’); (ii) large bio-pharmaceutical companies (‘bio-pharma’); and (iii) small and research-intensive companies. In terms of strategic alliance implications, a change was observed on the technological capacities’ configuration. The evidence suggests that the criteria for partner choice and technological capacity depend on the objectives and needs of each different group of company. Such type of evidence is important to provide researchers, corporate managers, and policy-makers with a concrete notion of the extent to which such division of innovative labour occurs and the actual changes going on the structure and organisation of innovative activities in the pharmaceutical industry.Titulo: Colaborando para Competir: Búsqueda Dentro de las Capacidades y Alianzas Estratégicas en la Industria Farmacéutica Pese a la existencia de muchos estudios relacionados a las evaluaciones individuales de las alianzas estratégicas y las capacidades tecnológicas, hay escasez de estudios con evidencia empírica relacionados con las implicaciones de las alianzas estratégicas en la configuración de las capacidades tecnológicas. Este artículo organiza un escrutinio de bases de datos (Galé, Dialog, and Business & Industry) entre los años del período 1993-2003, examinando la composición de entrada y salida de las capacidades innovativas de 25 compañías farmacéuticas involucradas en dichas alianzas. Las cuales se organizan en tres grupos (i)¨grandes compañías (grandes farmacéuticas); (ii)grandes compañías bio-farmacéuticas (bio-farma); y (iii) pequeñas compañías y compañías de investigación intensiva. En términos de las implicaciones de las alianzas estratégicas, se observa un cambio en la configuración de las capacidades tecnológicas. La evidencia sugiere que el criterio de para la elección de socios y de las capacidades tecnológicas depende de los objetivos y necesidades de los diversos grupos de compañías. Cada tipo de evidencia es de importancia para proveer a los investigadores, a los gerentes corporativos y los gestores con una noción concreta del grado de de importancia de cada división en las labores innovativas desarrolladas y en los cambio reales que se llevan a cabo en la estructura y la organización de las actividades innovativas en la industria farmacéutica .Athough there is a profusion of studies related to strategic alliances and technological capacities which evaluate the issues individually, there is a scarcity of studies with empirical evidence relative to the implications of strategic alliances at the technological capacity configuration. Drawing on a scrutiny of specialised databases (Galé, Dialog, and Business & Industry) covering the 1993-2003 period, this article examines the entry and exit composition of innovative capabilities of 25 pharmaceutical companies’ capabilities involved in such alliances. They are organised in three groups: (i) large pharmaceutical companies (‘big-pharma’); (ii) large bio-pharmaceutical companies (‘bio-pharma’); and (iii) small and research-intensive companies. In terms of strategic alliance implications, a change was observed on the technological capacities’ configuration. The evidence suggests that the criteria for partner choice and technological capacity depend on the objectives and needs of each different group of company. Such type of evidence is important to provide researchers, corporate managers, and policy-makers with a concrete notion of the extent to which such division of innovative labour occurs and the actual changes going on the structure and organisation of innovative activities in the pharmaceutical industry

Alianças estratégicas e suas implicações para a configuração de capacidades tecnológicas: evidências da indústria farmacêutica multinacional

Esta dissertação examina as capacidades tecnológicas (sistema técnico-organizacional, molécula e medicamento) disponibilizadas em alianças estratégicas pela indústria farmacêutica multinacional, assim como as principais implicações das alianças estratégicas para a indústria farmacêutica em termos de configuração de suas capacidades tecnológicas . Essas questões são examinadas à base de evidências empíricas secundárias sobre alianças estratégicas em uma amostra de 25 companhias multinacionais da indústria farmacêutica, pertencentes a três grupos: companhia farmacêutica de grande porte (big pharma); companhia biofarmacêutica de grande porte (biofarma) e companhia pequena de pesquisa . A literatura relacionada oferece uma grande quantidade de estudos sobre alianças estratégicas e capacidades tecnológicas na indústria farmacêutica multinacional. Porém, o tema das implicações de tais alianças estratégicas para mudanças na configuração de capacidades tecnológicas ainda carece de mais fundamentação empírica, pela perspectiva de gestão de empresa e, mais precisamente, pela perspectiva de estratégia empresarial baseada em competências dinâmicas. Essa dissertação baseia-se em extensiva e sistemática coleta de evidências empíricas relativas às alianças estratégicas implementadas por 25 companhias da indústria farmacêutica e, publicadas durante o período de 1993 a 2003. Tais evidências empíricas foram coletadas a partir de três bancos de dados: Business & Industry; Galé e Dialog . Com relação aos resultados, foi encontrado que: Em termos de participações com capacidades tecnológicas ingressantes em alianças estratégicas: (i) as 'big pharmas' ingressaram com 11 % das 169 capacidades tecnológicas; (ii) as biofarmas ingressaram com 44% das 143 capacidades tecnológicas; (iii) as companhias pequenas de pesquisa ingressaram com 72% das 95 capacidades tecnológicas . 2 Em termos de implicações das alianças estratégicas para a mudança na configuração de capacidades tecnológicas que ingressaram em alianças estratégicas, foi encontrado que: (i) as 'big pharmas' aumentaram a proporção em moléculas (16% para 55%); (ii) as biofarmas aumentaram a participação em moléculas (22% para 32%) e sistema técnico-organizacional para pesquisa de molécula (49% para 55%); (iii) as companhias pequenas de pesquisa inseriram-se a uma nova atividade (comercialização de medicamento no mercado farmacêutico) a partir do aumento da participação em medicamentos (3% para 29%). Adicionalmente, atualizaram sistemas técnico-organizacionais para pesquisa de molécula . As evidências sugerem que o critério de escolha por companhia parceira e por mecanismo de aliança estratégica foi condicionado aos objetivos e às necessidades de cada grupo de companhia da indústria farmacêutica. Por fim, enquanto as companhias integradas, 'big pharmas' e biofarmas, principalmente, as primeiras, têm adaptado o modelo de negócio "Fully Integrated Pharmaceutical Company" com a adoção de alianças estratégicas para complementação de capacidades tecnológicas, as companhias pequenas de pesquisa capitalizam as suas capacidades tecnológicas através das alianças estratégicas e ingressam no mercado farmacêutico com a comercialização de medicamentos adquiridos por meio de alianças estratégicas. Portanto, as evidências sugerem que a busca por complementação de base de conhecimento para competir no mercado globalizado, tem implicado ainda que, informalmente, uma alteração na organização das atividades tecnológicas inovadoras, especialmente, em termos de produtos (medicamentos) .This dissertation examines the technological capabilities (techno-organizacional system, molecu1e and drug) , which were made available in strategic alliances by the multinacional pharmaceutical industry, as well as the ma in strategic alliances implications to the pharmaceutical industry in terms of the its technological capabilities configuration. These questions were examined based on the secondary empirical evidences regarding the strategic alliances in a sample of 25 multinational pharmaceutical industry companies of three groups: large pharmaceutical company (big pharma); large biopharmaceutical company (biopharma) and small intensive research companies. The related literature presentsa high number of studies about strategic alliances and technological capabilities in the multinacional pharmaceutical industry. But the theme about implications of such strategic alliances on the technological capabilities configuration changes still remains poor of more empirical fundamentation, according the entrepreneurial management perspective based on dynamic competences are more precisely, according the entrepreneurial strategy based on dynamic competences. This dissertation is based on an extensive and systematic survey of empirical evidences related to the strategic alliances, which were implemented by 25 pharmaceutical industry companies and published between 1993 and 2003. Such empirical evidences were surveyed with three data basis: Business & Industry; Galé and Dialog. In relation to the results, it was found that: In terms of participation with initial technological capabilities in strategic alliances: (i) the big pharmas entered with 11 % of 169 technological capabilities; (ii) the biophamas entered with 44% of 143 technological capabilities; (iii) the small intensive research companies entered with 72% of 95 technological capabilities. 2 In terms of implications of the strategic alliances on the configuration of techno10gical capabilities which entered into strategic alliances, it was found that: (i) the big pharmas increased the proportion of molecules (16% to 55%); (ii) the biopharmas increased the participation in molecules (22% to 32%) and technoorganizationa1 system to molecule research (49% to 55%); (iii) the small intensive research companies started a new activity (drug commercialization on pharmaceutical market) due to the drug proportion increase (3% to 29%). Additionally, they updated their techno-organizational system for molecule research. The evidences suggest that the cri teria for the partner and for the strategic alliance mechanism choices was dependent on the aims and needs of each pharmaceutical industry company group. Finally, while the integrated companies, big pharmas and biopharmas, mainly the first ones, have adapted the business model "Fully Integrated Pharmaceutical Company" with the inclusion of strategic alliances to complement technological capabilities, the small intensive research companies take advantage on their technological capabilities through strategic alliances and they enter into the pharmaceutical market through the commercialization of the drugs acquired by strategic alliances. Therefore, the evidences suggest that the search for the knowledge basis complementation purposed to competion in a globalized market, has been involved, even informally, in a alteration on the innovative technological activities organization specially in terms of products (drugs)

Collaborating to Compete: A Search into Capabilities and Strategic Alliances in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Athough there is a profusion of studies related to strategic alliances and technological capacities which evaluate the issues individually, there is a scarcity of studies with empirical evidence relative to the implications of strategic alliances at the technological capacity configuration. Drawing on a scrutiny of specialised databases (Galé, Dialog, and Business & Industry) covering the 1993-2003 period, this article examines the entry and exit composition of innovative capabilities of 25 pharmaceutical companies¿ capabilities involved in such alliances. They are organised in three groups: (i) large pharmaceutical companies (¿big-pharma¿); (ii) large bio-pharmaceutical companies (¿bio-pharma¿); and (iii) small and research-intensive companies. In terms of strategic alliance implications, a change was observed on the technological capacities¿ configuration. The evidence suggests that the criteria for partner choice and technological capacity depend on the objectives and needs of each different group of company. Such type of evidence is important to provide researchers, corporate managers, and policy-makers with a concrete notion of the extent to which such division of innovative labour occurs and the actual changes going on the structure and organisation of innovative activities in the pharmaceutical industry