Global Technology Co-Operation In Innovation Process Of The Russian Aerospace Industry

This paper examines and attempts to explain the nature and role of entrepreneurship and organisational partnerships in the technological innovation process in the Russian aerospace industry, the Russian way.The context of the study is the transition of an industry which had absolute priority in terms of resource allocation in a "shortage economy" and only one customer, the government of the Soviet Union, to one of financial crisis, substantial disruption in the supply chains with ex- Soviet suppliers and the need to meet the revenue generation, cost constraints and quality expectations of new customers and international certification bodies. This transition has necessitated the inclusion of new actors into what was a sophisticated and stable networking system resulting in new partnerships and turbulence in the old system.The Russian way appears to be similar to the Japanese Competitive-Cum-Cooperation (CCC) business system of the 70's and 80's. The CCC system means a set of structures, procedures and practices that allows the implementation of competitive mechanism in intra and inter-firm relations bonded with a strong sense of cooperation and interdependence, generating both market-like and synergetic effects. This system is based upon the orientation of a society and culture towards interpersonalism rather than individualism.These multi-organisational partnerships are present at government, institution, corporate and individual levels. Any understanding of the technological innovation process can only be gained by examining the collaboration at each of these levels and the linkages and interdependencies between levels.