Proces umiędzynarodowienia a współpraca przedsiębiorstw high-tech z podmiotami zagranicznymi

The article looks at how Polish high-tech companies cooperate with foreign businesses depending on the advancement of the internationalization process. The author also attempts to suggest the desired course of development at the level of both individual high-tech companies and the economy as a whole. The article pinpoints areas in which support is needed for high-tech companies, with a view to increasing the competitiveness of the country. The article presents the results of a survey carried out in the first half of 2011 among 59 Polish high-tech companies active on foreign markets. The findings are compared with those of other available studies of cooperation, internationalization, and high-tech companies. Any differences in the perception of cooperation with foreign firms (in particular the motives for establishing such ties and the perceived barriers) depend on how long the surveyed high-tech companies have been active abroad. The analysis identifies the specific features of high-tech companies starting their operations abroad in the initial phase of internationalization. These firms usually find it more difficult to develop cooperation with foreign companies, even though they desperately need such ties the author says. Ratajczak-Mrozek goes on to suggest that it is necessary to broaden thinking about cooperation beyond the idea of a cluster-based policy and create a pro-cooperative culture, while underlining the benefits of cooperation demonstrated in the analysis. These benefits include increased market coverage, access to knowledge and know-how, and innovation.