IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hhs/hastef/0111.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Overseas R&D by Multinationals in foreign Centers of Excellence

Author

Listed:
  • Fors, Gunnar

    (The Industrial Institute for Economics and Social Research)

  • Zejan, Mario

    (Department of Economics)

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of overseas R&D by Swedish multinationals. Our empirical results indicate that the location of R&D abroad to a large extent is motivated by the need to adapt products and processes to conditions in the foreign markets where the firms operate. However, we also find that the MNEs tend to locate their R&D in host countries which are relatively specialized technologically in the firms' own areas. This finding may suggest that one additional motive to locating R&D abroad is to gain access to knowledge in foreign "centers of excellence" and benefit from localized spillovers.

Suggested Citation

  • Fors, Gunnar & Zejan, Mario, 1996. "Overseas R&D by Multinationals in foreign Centers of Excellence," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 111, Stockholm School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:hastef:0111
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0111.ps
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0111.ps.zip
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0111.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://swopec.hhs.se/hastef/papers/hastef0111.pdf.zip
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Head, Keith & Ries, John & Swenson, Deborah, 1995. "Agglomeration benefits and location choice: Evidence from Japanese manufacturing investments in the United States," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 223-247, May.
    2. Jaffe, Adam B, 1986. "Technological Opportunity and Spillovers of R&D: Evidence from Firms' Patents, Profits, and Market Value," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(5), pages 984-1001, December.
    3. Kogut, Bruce & Chang, Sea Jin, 1991. "Technological Capabilities and Japanese Foreign Direct Investment in the United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(3), pages 401-413, August.
    4. Hakanson, Lars & Nobel, Robert, 1993. "Foreign research and development in Swedish multinationals," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 22(5-6), pages 373-396, November.
    5. Audretsch, David B & Feldman, Maryann P, 1996. "R&D Spillovers and the Geography of Innovation and Production," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 630-640, June.
    6. Fors, Gunnar & Svensson, Roger, 1994. "R&D in Swedish Multinational Corporations," Working Paper Series 406, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    7. Hirschey, Robert C & Caves, Richard E, 1981. "Research and Transfer of Technology by Multinational Enterprises," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 43(2), pages 115-130, May.
    8. Sanjaya Lall, 1985. "The International Allocation of Research Activity by US Multinationals," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Multinationals, Technology and Exports, chapter 3, pages 38-64, Palgrave Macmillan.
    9. repec:bla:scandj:v:92:y:1990:i:3:p:487-500 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. White, Halbert, 1980. "A Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimator and a Direct Test for Heteroskedasticity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(4), pages 817-838, May.
    11. Robert C Ronstadt, 1978. "International R & D: The Establishment and Evolution of Research and Development Abroad by Seven U.S. Multinationals," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 9(1), pages 7-24, March.
    12. Cohen, Wesley M & Levinthal, Daniel A, 1989. "Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(397), pages 569-596, September.
    13. repec:bla:scandj:v:94:y:1992:i:0:p:s29-47 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "The Search for R&D Spillovers," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 251-268, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Richard C. Levin & Alvin K. Klevorick & Richard R. Nelson & Sidney G. Winter, 1987. "Appropriating the Returns from Industrial Research and Development," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 18(3, Specia), pages 783-832.
    16. Richard C. Levin & Alvin K. Klevorick & Richard R. Nelson & Sidney G. Winter, 1988. "Appropriating the Returns from Industrial R&D," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 862, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Suma Athreye & Martha Prevezer, 2008. "R&D offshoring and the domestic science base in India and China," Working Papers 26, Queen Mary, University of London, School of Business and Management, Centre for Globalisation Research.
    2. Liu, Meng-chun & Chen, Shin-Horng, 2012. "MNCs’ offshore R&D networks in host country's regional innovation system: The case of Taiwan-based firms in China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 1107-1120.
    3. Globerman, Steven & Kokko, Ari & Sjöholm, Fredrik, 1996. "Technology Sourcing in Swedish MNEs and SMEs: Evidence from Patent Data," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 125, Stockholm School of Economics.
    4. Shin-Horng Chen & Meng-Chun Liu, 2005. "International R&D Deployment and Locational Advantage of Developing Countries: A Case Study of Taiwan," NBER Chapters, in: International Trade in East Asia, pages 81-108, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Shanzi Ke & Mingyong Lai, 2011. "Productivity of Chinese Regions and the Location of Multinational Research and Development," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 34(1), pages 102-131, January.
    6. Garcia-Bernardo, Javier & Reurink, Arjan, 2019. "Competing with whom? European tax competition, the "great fragmentation of the firm," and varieties of FDI attraction profiles," MPIfG Discussion Paper 19/9, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fors, Gunnar & Zejan, Mario, 2012. "Overseas R&D by Multinationals in Foreign Centers of Excellence," Working Paper Series 458, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    2. Blomkvist, Katarina & Kappen, Philip & Zander, Ivo, 2014. "Superstar inventors—Towards a people-centric perspective on the geography of technological renewal in the multinational corporation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 669-682.
    3. Schmiele, Anja, 2009. "Drivers for international innovation activities in developed and emerging countries," ZEW Discussion Papers 09-064, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    4. Marina Papanastassiou & Robert Pearce & Antonello Zanfei, 2020. "Changing perspectives on the internationalization of R&D and innovation by multinational enterprises: A review of the literature," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 51(4), pages 623-664, June.
    5. Anja Schmiele, 2012. "Drivers for international innovation activities in developed and emerging countries," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 98-123, February.
    6. Rachel Griffith & David Sandler & John Van Reenen, 1995. "Tax incentives for R&D," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 21-44, May.
    7. Per Botolf Maurseth, 2005. "Lovely but dangerous: The impact of patent citations on patent renewal," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(5), pages 351-374.
    8. Michele Cincera, 2005. "Firms' productivity growth and R&D spillovers: An analysis of alternative technological proximity measures," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(8), pages 657-682.
    9. Breschi, Stefano & Lissoni, Francesco, 2001. "Knowledge Spillovers and Local Innovation Systems: A Critical Survey," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 10(4), pages 975-1005, December.
    10. Michael J. Orlando, 2000. "On the importance of geographic and technological proximity for R&D spillovers : an empirical investigation," Research Working Paper RWP 00-02, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    11. Stefano Breschi, 2000. "The Geography of Innovation: A Cross-sector Analysis," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(3), pages 213-229.
    12. Trajtenberg, M., 1992. "Ivory Tower Versus Corporate Lab : An Empirical Study of Basic Research and Appropriability," Papers 15-92, Tel Aviv.
    13. Athukorala, Prema-chandra & Kohpaiboon, Archanun, 2010. "Globalization of R&D by US-based multinational enterprises," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1335-1347, December.
    14. William Griffiths & Elizabeth Webster, 2004. "The Determinants of Research and Development and Intellectual Property Usage among Australian Companies, 1989 to 2002," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2004n27, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    15. Schmiele, Anja, 2013. "Intellectual property infringements due to R&D abroad? A comparative analysis between firms with international and domestic innovation activities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(8), pages 1482-1495.
    16. Iwasa, Tomoko & Odagiri, Hiroyuki, 2004. "Overseas R&D, knowledge sourcing, and patenting: an empirical study of Japanese R&D investment in the US," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 807-828, July.
    17. Kleoniki Kalapouti & Nikos Varsakelis, 2015. "Intra and inter: regional knowledge spillovers in European Union," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 40(5), pages 760-781, October.
    18. Milliou, Chrysovalantou, 2006. "Endogenous protection of R and D investments," UC3M Working papers. Economics we066325, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    19. Cristiano Antonelli & Pier Paolo Patrucco & Francesco Quatraro, 2011. "Productivity Growth and Pecuniary Knowledge Externalities: An Empirical Analysis of Agglomeration Economies in European Regions," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 87(1), pages 23-50, January.
    20. Stéphane Lhuillery, 2005. "Organisation and location of academic sourcing at the firm level," CEMI Working Papers cemi-report-2005-001, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Collège du Management de la Technologie, Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship Institute, Chaire en Economie et Management de l'Innovation.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Overseas R&D; technology sourcing; multinationals;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hhs:hastef:0111. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Helena Lundin (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/erhhsse.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.