IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/zbw/fisisi/s142018.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The globalisation of corporate R&D: Evidence from German environmental technology companies

Author

Listed:
  • Gandenberger, Carsten

Abstract

This paper contributes to the discussion about the globalization of corporate R&D by analyzing R&D strategies of environmental technology companies. Data is generated from a survey among German applicants for environmental technology patents. The survey elucidates motives and functions of foreign R&D as well as factors influencing the strategic choice between domestic and foreign R&D. The results strongly support the validity of the efficiency seeking motive for for-eign R&D. Similarly, there is weak evidence for the resource seeking motive when controlling for specific host countries. In contrast, the market seeking motive had no significant influence on the intention to conduct foreign R&D in the future. Company size seems to be positively associated with investment in foreign R&D, whereas R&D intensity is not.

Suggested Citation

  • Gandenberger, Carsten, 2018. "The globalisation of corporate R&D: Evidence from German environmental technology companies," Working Papers "Sustainability and Innovation" S14/2018, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:fisisi:s142018
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/180825/1/1026873150.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arie Y Lewin & Silvia Massini & Carine Peeters, 2009. "Why are companies offshoring innovation? The emerging global race for talent," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(8), pages 1406-1406, October.
    2. Bruce Kogut & Udo Zander, 1992. "Knowledge of the Firm, Combinative Capabilities, and the Replication of Technology," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 3(3), pages 383-397, August.
    3. Unruh, Gregory C., 2002. "Escaping carbon lock-in," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 317-325, March.
    4. Walter Kuemmerle, 1999. "The Drivers of Foreign Direct Investment into Research and Development: An Empirical Investigation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(1), pages 1-24, March.
    5. Arie Lewin & Silvia Massini & Carine Peeters, 2008. "Why are companies offshoring innovation ?the emerging global race for talent," Working Papers CEB 08-009, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. Bas, Christian Le & Sierra, Christophe, 2002. "'Location versus home country advantages' in R&D activities: some further results on multinationals' locational strategies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 589-609, May.
    7. Lee G. Branstetter & Britta Glennon & J. Bradford Jensen, 2019. "The IT Revolution and the Globalization of R&D," Innovation Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(1), pages 1-37.
    8. Rennings, Klaus, 2000. "Redefining innovation -- eco-innovation research and the contribution from ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 319-332, February.
    9. Wolfgang Keller, 2004. "International Technology Diffusion," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(3), pages 752-782, September.
    10. Jaffe, Adam B. & Newell, Richard G. & Stavins, Robert N., 2005. "A tale of two market failures: Technology and environmental policy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2-3), pages 164-174, August.
    11. Lai, Edwin L. -C., 1998. "International intellectual property rights protection and the rate of product innovation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 133-153, February.
    12. Carlsson, Bo, 2006. "Internationalization of innovation systems: A survey of the literature," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 56-67, February.
    13. John Cantwell & Grazia D. Santangelo, 2000. "Capitalism, profits and innovation in the new techno-economic paradigm," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 131-157.
    14. Lee G. Branstetter & Raymond Fisman & C. Fritz Foley, 2006. "Do Stronger Intellectual Property Rights Increase International Technology Transfer? Empirical Evidence from U. S. Firm-Level Panel Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(1), pages 321-349.
    15. Noailly, Joëlle & Ryfisch, David, 2015. "Multinational firms and the internationalization of green R&D: A review of the evidence and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 218-228.
    16. Edwin Mansfield & David Teece & Anthony Romeo, 2008. "Overseas Research and Development by US-Based Firms," World Scientific Book Chapters,in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 12, pages 297-306 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    17. Florida, Richard, 1997. "The globalization of R&D: Results of a survey of foreign-affiliated R&D laboratories in the USA," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 85-103, March.
    18. Pari Patel & Keith Pavitt, 1991. "Large Firms in the Production of the World’s Technology: An Important Case of “Non-Globalisation”," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 22(1), pages 1-21, March.
    19. Furman, Jeffrey L. & Porter, Michael E. & Stern, Scott, 2002. "The determinants of national innovative capacity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 899-933, August.
    20. Guido Reger, 2002. "Internationalisation of research and development in western European, Japanese and North American multinationals," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(2/3), pages 164-185.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lorena D’Agostino, 2015. "The neglected effects of R&D captive offshoring in emerging countries on the creation of knowledge at home," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 42(1), pages 61-91, March.
    2. Jérôme Danguy, 2017. "Globalization of innovation production: A patent-based industry analysis," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 75-94.
    3. Marina Papanastassiou & Robert Pearce & Antonello Zanfei, 2020. "Changing perspectives on the internationalization of R&D and innovation by multinational enterprises: A review of the literature," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 623-664, June.
    4. Noailly, Joëlle & Ryfisch, David, 2015. "Multinational firms and the internationalization of green R&D: A review of the evidence and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 218-228.
    5. Thomson, Russell, 2013. "National scientific capacity and R&D offshoring," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 517-528.
    6. Cozza, Claudio & Franco, Chiara & Perani, Giulio, 2018. "R&D endowments at home driving R&D internationalisation: Evidence from the Italian business R&D survey," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 277-289.
    7. Jing Huang & Linda Krull & Rosemarie Ziedonis, 2020. "R&D Investments and Tax Incentives: The Role of Intra‐Firm Cross‐Border Collaboration," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(4), pages 2523-2557, December.
    8. Jaana Rahko, 2016. "Internationalization of corporate R&D activities and innovation performance," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(6), pages 1019-1038.
    9. Giuditta Prato & Daniel Nepelski, 2014. "Global technological collaboration network: network analysis of international co-inventions," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 358-375, June.
    10. René Belderbos & Bart Leten & Shinya Suzuki, 2017. "Scientific research, firm heterogeneity, and foreign R&D locations of multinational firms," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 691-711, September.
    11. Picci, Lucio & Savorelli, Luca, 2015. "The Inventor Balance and the Functional Specialization in Global Inventive Activities," 2007 Annual Meeting, July 29-August 1, 2007, Portland, Oregon TN 2015-20, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    12. Andre Jungmittag, 2016. "Techno-Globalisierung," EIIW Discussion paper disbei221, Universitätsbibliothek Wuppertal, University Library.
    13. René Belderbos & Jinhyuck (Joseph) Park & Martin Carree, 2021. "Do R&D investments in weak IPR countries destroy market value? The role of internal linkages," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(8), pages 1401-1431, August.
    14. Niccolò Pisani & Joan Enric Ricart, 2018. "Offshoring Innovation to Emerging Countries: The Effects of IP Protection and Cultural Differences on Firms’ Decision to Augment Versus Exploit Home-Base-Knowledge," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 58(6), pages 871-909, December.
    15. Nepelski, Daniel & De Prato, Giuditta, 2011. "Internationalisation of ICT R&D in Asia vis a vis the world regions," MPRA Paper 39281, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Manning, Stephan, 2013. "New Silicon Valleys or a new species? Commoditization of knowledge work and the rise of knowledge services clusters," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 379-390.
    17. Lee Branstetter & Raymond Fisman & C. Fritz Foley, 2005. "Do Stronger Intellectual Property Rights Increase International Technology Transfer? Empirical Evidence from U.S. Firm-Level Data," NBER Working Papers 11516, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Lin, Jenny X. & Lincoln, William F., 2017. "Pirate's treasure," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 235-245.
    19. Valle, Sandra & García, Francisco & Avella, Lucía, 2015. "Offshoring Intermediate Manufacturing: Boost or Hindrance to Firm Innovation?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 117-134.
    20. René Belderbos & Boris Lokshin & Bert Sadowski, 2015. "The returns to foreign R&D," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 46(4), pages 491-504, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Foreign R&D; Environmental Technology; Globalization of Technology;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:fisisi:s142018. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/isfhgde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.