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Capable companies or changing markets? Explaining the export performance of firms in the defence industry

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  • Castellacci, Fulvio
  • Fevolden, Arne

Abstract

The paper carries out an empirical analysis of the factors explaining the export performance of firms in the defence sector. We focus on the case of Norway, and make use of two complementary methodologies: the first is based on quantitative firm-level data analysis for the whole population of defence companies, and the second is based on qualitative case study research on the three most important defence export products (weapon stations, ammunition, electronics). Our empirical results highlight the importance of four major success factors for exporting firms: (1) the participation in offset agreements; (2) the ability to focus on their set of core competencies; (3) their R&D activities and interactions with the public S&T system; (4) demand opportunities and, relatedly, user-producer interactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Castellacci, Fulvio & Fevolden, Arne, 2012. "Capable companies or changing markets? Explaining the export performance of firms in the defence industry," MPRA Paper 36026, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:36026
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    Cited by:

    1. Wu, Lichao & Wei, Yingqi & Wang, Chengang, 2021. "Disentangling the effects of business groups in the innovation-export relationship," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    2. Chen, Stephen, 2017. "Profiting from FDI in conflict zones," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(6), pages 760-768.
    3. Antonio Juan Briones-Peñalver & Juan Andrés Bernal-Conesa & Carmen Nieves Nieto, 0. "Knowledge and innovation management model. Its influence on technology transfer and performance in Spanish Defence industry," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-21.
    4. Vesa Kanniainen & Juha-Matti Lehtonen, 2019. "Offset Contracts as an Insurance Device in Building the National Security," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 85-97, January.
    5. Martin Blom & Fulvio Castellacci & Arne Fevolden, 2014. "Defence firms facing liberalization: innovation and export in an agent-based model of the defence industry," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 430-461, December.
    6. Antonio Juan Briones-Peñalver & Juan Andrés Bernal-Conesa & Carmen Nieves Nieto, 2020. "Knowledge and innovation management model. Its influence on technology transfer and performance in Spanish Defence industry," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 595-615, June.
    7. Wu, Lichao & Wei, Yingqi & Wang, Chengang & McDonald, Frank & Han, Xia, 2022. "The importance of institutional and financial resources for export performance associated with technological innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    8. Antonella Biscione & Chiara Burlina & Raul Caruso & Annunziata de Felice, 2021. "Innovation in Transition countries: the role of training," Working Papers 1013, European Centre of Peace Science, Integration and Cooperation (CESPIC), Catholic University 'Our Lady of Good Counsel'.
    9. N�stor Duch-Brown & Antonio Fonfr�a & Elisa Trujillo-Baute, 2014. "Market Structure and Technical Efficiency of Spanish Defense Contractors," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 23-38, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Defence industry; liberalization; export; R&D and innovation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F5 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy
    • M2 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics
    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance

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