A study on the R&D activities of Korean service companies: Focusing on R&D innovation cooperation for corporate innovation

Currently, Korean society is experiencing a period where cutting-edge technologies and information and communication technologies are applied and converged across various sectors of the economy and society. Technological development is accelerating over time, and consequently, competition in all fields is intensifying. Schumpeter states in the theory of economic development that innovation is central to economic growth, fostering overall economic progress, and that entrepreneurship is essential for innovation. It can be said that companies are the primary agents of innovation. As such, corporate innovation activities play a vital role. In an era where markets change rapidly from moment to moment, it is even more crucial to pursue innovation activities that enable steady growth without eliminating companies. Traditionally, innovation has focused on a company's internal R&D activities, but as the costs associated with external information search decrease, companies' search capabilities improve. Fierce competition and increased technological complexity have led companies to seek innovation sources externally. Successful innovation requires internal R&D activities, but it is also important to effectively utilize external knowledge and technology. Collaboration with external organizations allows partners to combine various complementary external resources. In particular, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which have relatively fewer resources compared to large companies, can reconsider their innovation performance by expanding their resource base through external cooperation, utilizing technologies already developed by partner organizations. Therefore, this study aims to identify R&D innovation cooperation in the context of corporate innovation within Korean service companies, enhance understanding, and provide implications useful for innovation research.