Abstracts
Abstract
The aim of the paper is to track the scale and the strategy of European multinational firms related to the internationalization of their R&D. We address two questions: 1. Can we confirm the general view assuming a growing trend in the internationalisation of technology? 2. Does the “home base augmenting” dominant strategy observed in the 1990s still hold? We use a patent data set for a sample of 349 firms and two time periods 1994-1996 and 2003-2005. We find out: 1) the remaining importance of the national technological bases of MNCs, 2) R&D internationalisation is not continuously growing over the period under observation, 3) an emerging trend working to the detriment of the home base augmenting strategy.
Keywords:
- large firm (multinational),
- R&D,
- internationalisation,
- locational strategy
Résumé
L’objet de l’article est de suivre l’évolution de l’échelle et des stratégies des firmes multinationales européennes en matière d’internationalisation de leur R-D. On aborde deux questions : 1. Peut-on confirmer le point de vue généralement accepté d’un trend croissant en termes d’internationalisation de la production technologique ? 2. Est-ce que la stratégie “home base augmenting” dominante dans les années 1990 l’est encore ? On utilise une base de données de brevets comprenant 349 firmes sur deux périodes 1994-1996 and 2003-2005. On trouve : 1) la base technologique nationale des firmes reste importante, 2) l’internationalisation de la R-D n’est pas continument croissante sur la période observée, 3) en termes de stratégie on perçoit une tendance émergeante jouant au détriment de la stratégie « home base augmenting ».
Mots-clés :
- grande firme multinationale,
- R&D,
- internationalisation,
- stratégie de localisation
Resumen
El propósito del artículo es el seguimiento de la evolución de la escala y la estrategia de las multinacionales europeas sobre la internacionalización de la I + D. Nos dirigimos a dos preguntas: 1. Podemos confirmar las predicciones de opinión general sobre una tendencia creciente en la internacionalización de la tecnología? 2. Continua la estrategia « home base augmenting » observada en la década de 1990 siendo la estrategia dominante? Utilizamos un conjunto de datos de patentes de 349 empresas y dos períodos; de 1994-1996 y 2003-2005. Encontramos que: 1) La base tecnológica de las empresas multinacionales continua siendo importante, 2) La internacionalización de la R&D no se desarrolla continuamente durante el periodo observado, 3) una nueva tendencia se desarrolla a expensas de la estrategia « home base augmenting ».
Palabras clave:
- grande multinacional firme,
- I + D,
- internacionalización,
- estrategia de ubicación
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Appendices
Biographical notes
Patricia Laurens holds a PhD degree in Chemistry. She is a researcher at CNRS since 1991. After 15 years studying material-laser interactions, she spent 6 years at the French Observatoire de Sciences et Technololy as a project manager conducting studies in bibliometric. Since 2004, she is part of IFRIS ( Institut Francilien Recherche Innovation Société) and currently works on the R&D internationalisation of large firms at Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée.
Christian Le Bas is full Professor of Economics at ESDES (the School of Management of Catholic University of Lyon). He basically works on the Economics and management of innovation. His main current research projects are about the determinants and strategies of MNCs RandD internationalization, the commitment of large firms in green technologies, the relation between environmental innovation and corporate social responsibility.
Antoine Schoen is engineer in technology management (Université de Technologie de Compiègne) and holds a PhD in economics (Université Paris-Sud). He has long lasting interest in S&T indicators. He worked at the French observatory for Science and Technics (OST, 2003-2005) and at IPTS (2005-2008). Since 2008 he is a professor researcher at Université Paris Est, working with ESIEE Paris school of engineering and with the LISIS-IFRIS laboratory.
Philippe Larédo is Directeur de Recherche at Université de Paris-Est (Ecole des Ponts, IFRIS) and professor at the University of Manchester (MBS, Manchester Institute of Innovation Research). His research interests are on new emerging sciences and breakthrough innovation, on the globalisation of RDI activities of large firms and on research and innovation policies. In the latter his work focuses on new evaluation approaches for assessing societal impacts of public research, and on the development of ‘positioning indicators’ (with the coordination of a distributed European research infrastructure supported by the EC, RISIS).
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Appendices
Notes biographiques
Patricia Laurens a un doctorat en Chimie. Elle est chercheure au CNRS depuis 1991. Après 15 ans de recherche dans le domaine de l’interaction laser-matière, elle a passé 6 ans à l’Observatoire de Sciences et Technololy (OST) comme chef de projet en charge de travaux en bibliométrie. En 2004, elle a rejoint l’IFRIS (Institut Francilien Recherche Innovation Société) à l’Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée et s’intéresse depuis à l'internationalisation de la R&D dans les grandes entreprises.
Christian Le Bas est Professeur d’économie à l’ESDES (School of Management of Catholic University of Lyon). Il travaille sur l’économie et le management de l’innovation technologique environnementale, l’internationalisation des activités de recherche des grandes entreprises, l’implication des grandes firmes mondiales dans les activités technologiques vertes, et la responsabilité sociale des entreprises.
Antoine Schoen est ingénieur en management des technologies (Université de Technologie de Compiègne) et il est titulaire d'un doctorat en économie (Université Paris-Sud). Il a travaillé sur les indicateurs de science et de technologie à l'Observatoire Français des sciences et des techniques (OST, 2003-2005) et à l'IPTS (2005-2008). Depuis 2008, il est professeur à l'Université Paris Est (école d'ingénieurs ESIEE Paris) et chercheur au laboratoire de LISIS-IFRIS.
Philippe Larédo est directeur de recherche à l'Université Paris Est (Ecole des ponts, IFRIS) et professeur à l'université de Manchester (MBS, Manchester Institute of Innovation Research). Ses activités portent sur les innovations de rupture et les technologies émergentes, sur la globalisation des activités de recherche et d'innovation et sur les politiques de recherche et d'innovation. Le travail sur les politiques se concentre sur de nouvelles approaches pour l'évaluation des impacts sociétaux de la recherche publique et sur le développement d'indicateurs de positionnement (avec la coordination d'une infrastructure distribuée de recherche financée par la Commission Européenne, RISIS).
Appendices
Notas biograficas
Patricia Laurens posee un doctorado en química. Es investigadora en el CNRS desde 1991. Durante de 15 años ha estudiado las interacciones del material láser de los cuales pasó 6 años como directora de proyectos en el Observatorio de las Ciencias francesa et Technololy llevando a cabo estudios en bibliometría. Desde el 2004 forma parte del IFRIS (Institut Francilien de Recherche Innovation Société) en la universidad Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée y actualmente trabaja en la internacionalización de la R&D de las grandes empresas.
Christian Le Bas es profesor de economía de ESDES (la escuela de administración de la Universidad Católica de Lyon). Trabaja en economía y gestión de la innovación. Sus principales proyectos de investigación actuales están sobre los determinantes y estrategias de internacionalización de las empresas multinacionales de investigación, el compromiso de las grandes empresas de tecnologías verdes, la relación entre la innovación ambiental y responsabilidad social corporativa.
Antoine Schoen es Ingeniero en administración de tecnologías (Université de Technologie de Compiègne) y tiene un doctorado en economía (Université París-Sud). Tiene interés duradero en los indicadores S y T. Inicialmente trabajó en el Observatorio Francés de Ciencias y técnicas (OST, 2003-2005) y en el IPTS (2005-2008). Desde el 2008 es profesor investigador en la universidad Paris Est, trabajando con la escuela de ingeniería ESIEE París y con el laboratorio de investigación IFRIS LISIS.
Philippe Larédo es director de investigación en la Universidad Paris Est (École des Ponts, IFRIS) y profesor de la Universidad de Manchester (MBS, Manchester Institute of Innovation Research). Sus actividades se centran en la innovación de ruptura y las tecnologías emergentes, la globalización de las actividades y las políticas de investigación e innovación. Su trabajo sobre las políticas se centra en nuevos enfoques para la evaluación de impactos sociales de la investigación pública y la creación de indicadores de posicionamiento (con la coordinación de una infraestructura distribuida de investigación financiada por la Comisión Europea, RISIS).