Comprehensive Week 3 Flashcards
Why is R&D and innovation important?
Primary means through which firms establish, sustain and enhance their long run competitiveness and profitability
What are the 5 types of R&D?
Basic R&D
Problem solving R&D
Product/service improving R&D
Efficiency/process improving R&D
Reverse R&D
What is basic R&D?
Fundamental research, unknown outcome costly
What is product/service improving R&D?
Meant to lead in incremental improvements. Low cost and focussed
What is reverse R&D?
Strategic learning from the innovation of competitors. Industrial espionage/ illegal replication
What does Hymer say about MNE characteristics?
MNEs have specific characteristics. They are highly concentrated in industries with advanced tech, substantial R&D costs, high sunk costs and substantial economies of scale.
Tech-intensive industries tend to be dominated by firms of what size?
LARGE firms. Because R&D and innovation is capital intensive and requires substantial sunk costs.
SMEs possess R&D and innovative capacity in areas with
Human capital intensive tech.
What is technological leapfrogging?
Firms that currently dominate markets with well established tech may be sluggish and less likely to innovate.
How is R&D and innovation incentivised?
Tangible outcomes are protected by intellectual property rights (IPRs)
Who enforces patents?
WIPO
How does IPR protection benefit innovating firms?
They are granted a temporary monopoly over innovative outcomes. Exploiting this leads to long run profitability and competitiveness.
Hymer observed that innovation is strongly related to what?
The characteristics of the home market
Talk about the global pattern of innovative activity.
Changing rapidly. An increasing no. countries are developing technological capacity.
What factors do SPF claim determine national innovative capacity?
- National innovative infrastructure
- Cluster-specific environment
- Quality of linkages