Modern models of international competitiveness of Big Tech corporations: internal drivers versus external shocks

This paper examines the contemporary models of international competitiveness adopted by Big Tech corporations between 2010 and 2025. The study aims to identify the internal drivers underpinning the resilience of technological giants and to assess their capacity to withstand external shocks, including sanctions, geo-economic fragmentation, and regulatory shifts. To achieve this objective, the authors employ a comprehensive methodological framework that integrates financial performance analysis (revenue, return on assets), market metrics (market share, international footprint), innovation activity (R&D intensity, patenting), and qualitative attributes such as network effects, lock-in effects, and corporate dynamic capabilities. The empirical basis of the research draws on data from Statista, IDC, and Omdia concerning global smartphone shipments by key vendors from 2009 to 2026. The findings indicate that the primary internal drivers of competitiveness are data network effects, ecosystem-based user lock-in, control over strategic infrastructure (data centers, chips, submarine cables), and sustained R&D investments that often exceed the national budgets of entire countries. External shocks, such as the sanctions imposed on Huawei, have laid bare the vulnerability of even the largest players: the company's shipments plummeting from 240.5 million units in 2019 to 35 million in 2021 underscores a critical dependence on global supply chains and access to digital ecosystems (Android, Google Services). At the same time, Samsung has managed to maintain a stable position (62.8 million units in Q1 2026) owing to its vertical integration and diversification. The conclusions drawn are relevant for the development of corporate strategies and state industrial policy in the context of digital transformation.