The rate and motives of the internationalisation of large firm R&D (1994–2005): Towards a turning point?

Patricia Laurens, Christian Le Bas, Antoine Schoen, Lionel Villard and Philippe Larédo

Research Policy, 2015, vol. 44, issue 3, 765-776

Abstract: This paper addresses the internationalisation of R&D of large multinational firms by analysing their patents from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. It highlights three major results. Firstly it does not reveal any significant increase of the global rate of R&D internationalisation, which remains at around 23%. This means that the national base remains prevalent in their technology production. Secondly it shows striking different regional trends: (i) a relative retraction of European firms that still remain more internationalised (30%) and have re-focused R&D in European countries, (ii) a continuing increase of the internationalisation of US firms (17%) and a very important loss of attractiveness of the US as a destination for R&D investments by non-US firms; and (iii) a rapid rise (but still limited) of Asian firm R&D internationalisation. Third, these movements did not promote, as anticipated, the role of technology-based motives (asset augmenting strategies) in the internationalisation of large firms R&D: Technology-based motives remain the most important of driver but the gap with market-based considerations has narrowed.

Keywords: Multinational firms; Global firms; R&D; Technology; Patents; Internationalisation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:44:y:2015:i:3:p:765-776

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2014.11.001

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