This paper addresses the internationalisation of R&D of large multinational firms by analysing their patents from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. It highlights three major results. Firstly it does not reveal any significant increase of the global rate of R&D internationalisation, which remains at around 23%. This means that the national base remains prevalent in their technology production. Secondly it shows striking different regional trends: (i) a relative retraction of European firms that still remain more internationalised (30%) and have re-focused R&D in European countries, (ii) a continuing increase of the internationalisation of US firms (17%) and a very important loss of attractiveness of the US as a destination for R&D investments by non-US firms; and (iii) a rapid rise (but still limited) of Asian firm R&D internationalisation. Third, these movements did not promote, as anticipated, the role of technology-based motives (asset augmenting strategies) in the internationalisation of large firms R&D: Technology-based motives remain the most important of driver but the gap with market-based considerations has narrowed.
%0 Journal Article
%1 LAURENS2015765
%A Laurens, Patricia
%A Le Bas, Christian
%A Schoen, Antoine
%A Villard, Lionel
%A Larédo, Philippe
%D 2015
%J Research Policy
%K myown r risisProject
%N 3
%P 765 - 776
%R http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2014.11.001
%T The rate and motives of the internationalisation of large firm R&D (1994–2005): Towards a turning point?
%U http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733314001929
%V 44
%X This paper addresses the internationalisation of R&D of large multinational firms by analysing their patents from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. It highlights three major results. Firstly it does not reveal any significant increase of the global rate of R&D internationalisation, which remains at around 23%. This means that the national base remains prevalent in their technology production. Secondly it shows striking different regional trends: (i) a relative retraction of European firms that still remain more internationalised (30%) and have re-focused R&D in European countries, (ii) a continuing increase of the internationalisation of US firms (17%) and a very important loss of attractiveness of the US as a destination for R&D investments by non-US firms; and (iii) a rapid rise (but still limited) of Asian firm R&D internationalisation. Third, these movements did not promote, as anticipated, the role of technology-based motives (asset augmenting strategies) in the internationalisation of large firms R&D: Technology-based motives remain the most important of driver but the gap with market-based considerations has narrowed.
@article{LAURENS2015765,
abstract = {This paper addresses the internationalisation of R&D of large multinational firms by analysing their patents from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. It highlights three major results. Firstly it does not reveal any significant increase of the global rate of R&D internationalisation, which remains at around 23%. This means that the national base remains prevalent in their technology production. Secondly it shows striking different regional trends: (i) a relative retraction of European firms that still remain more internationalised (30%) and have re-focused R&D in European countries, (ii) a continuing increase of the internationalisation of US firms (17%) and a very important loss of attractiveness of the US as a destination for R&D investments by non-US firms; and (iii) a rapid rise (but still limited) of Asian firm R&D internationalisation. Third, these movements did not promote, as anticipated, the role of technology-based motives (asset augmenting strategies) in the internationalisation of large firms R&D: Technology-based motives remain the most important of driver but the gap with market-based considerations has narrowed.},
added-at = {2017-03-17T14:40:35.000+0100},
author = {Laurens, Patricia and Le Bas, Christian and Schoen, Antoine and Villard, Lionel and Larédo, Philippe},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/28cc97d9d93a47ced6f09cc10d1c754bc/laurensp},
doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2014.11.001},
interhash = {8eff5cf0f08fcb36adddbe7ef94a8b52},
intrahash = {8cc97d9d93a47ced6f09cc10d1c754bc},
issn = {0048-7333},
journal = {Research Policy},
keywords = {myown r risisProject},
number = 3,
pages = {765 - 776},
timestamp = {2017-03-17T14:40:35.000+0100},
title = {The rate and motives of the internationalisation of large firm R&D (1994–2005): Towards a turning point?},
url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733314001929},
volume = 44,
year = 2015
}