Innovation in Multinational Corporations in the Information Age: The Experience of the European ICT Industry

by Grazia D. Santangelo

Overview

Innovation in Multinational Corporations in the Information Age investigates the production of information communication technology (ICT) through multinational corporations worldwide, and particularly in Europe.

Questions relating to the management of corporate technological portfolio and the management of corporate research activity are addressed, and sectoral specialisation along with the geographical location of corporate technological development are analysed.

The book imparts enlightening viewpoints on the changing boundaries of the international firm and the evolution of corporate learning in a more complex technological system. The increasing significance of regions as units of spatial competition is highlighted, and the analysis of ICT provides an insight into business strategy and policy making agendas.

Providing useful insights into the dynamics of innovation at company level in an international context, this book will be of great interest to international, political, industrial and business economists and scholars.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781840647310
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
Publication date:	10/22/2002
Series:	New Horizons in the Economics of Innovation series
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Grazia D. Santangelo, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface 1. Introduction Part I: Location, Innovative Activity and MNCs 2. The Geography of Innovation and Local Embeddedness: Tacit versus Codified Knowledge 3. The Management of Corporate Technological Portfolios: Rationalisation versus Diversification 4. Globalisation and Innovation Management Part II: The Experience of the European ICT Industry 5. The Evolution of European Corporate Competencies in ICT 6. The Dynamics of Corporate Competencies and STPs 7. Locational Aspects of ICT Corporate Technological Development: Some Evidence from German, Italian and UK Regions Part III: Concluding Remarks and Implications 8. Conclusions: Context-Dependency, Industrial Models of Innovation and Corporate Learning 9. Management Issues and Policy Implications Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

'. . . Grazia D. Santangelo has added enormously to our understanding of the nature of international R&D. Hence, I strongly recommend the book to researchers and interested practitioners who work in the field of ICT innovation and international R&D.'

Oliver Gassmann

'This book deals with issues that will be of particular interest to those who wish to learn about the location of corporate R&D. In line with earlier studies on international business, this book concludes that although ICTs encourage the geographical dispersion of R&D activities, the location of these is not in fact random. On the contrary, the book shows that the location patterns of multinational corporations reflect regional technological advantages and are affected by agglomeration economies. The collection of data presented in this work bears several implications for the management of multinational corporations and public policy.'

Salvatore Torrisi

'Innovation in Multinational Corporations in the Information Age is highly recommended for any professional interested in the role of information technology in multinational corporations. Although most of the analysis in this book is focused on Europe, the findings can be easily extrapolated to other regions of the world. The highly structured analysis of empirical data sets this book apart from others in this topic.'

Roberto Vinaja