Drivers and impacts in the globalization of corporate R&D: an introduction based on the European experience

1. Pietro Moncada-Paternò-Castello*^‡,
2. Marco Vivarelli** and
3. Peter Voigt^†

+ Author Affiliations

1. *Pietro Moncada-Paternò-Castello, European Commission, Joint Research Center, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Edf. Expo/WTC, C/ Inca Garcilaso No. 3 - 41092 Seville, Spain. e-mail: pietro.moncada-paterno-castello@ec.europa.eu
2. **Marco Vivarelli, Facoltà di Economia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, I 29122, Piacenza, Italy; SPRU, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; IZA, Bonn, Germany. e-mail: marco.vivarelli@unicatt.it
3. ^†Peter Voigt, European Commission, Joint Research Center, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies Edf. Expo/WTC, C/Inca Garcilaso No. 3 - 41092 Seville, Spain. e-mail: peter.voigt@ec.europa.eu

1. ↵^‡Main author for correspondence.

Abstract

The globalization of R&D activities has continued its growth path as companies are increasingly trying to capture knowledge and market opportunities internationally. The rapid evolution of national economies and the ways to conduct knowledge-intensive businesses has led researchers and analysts to pursue a deeper understanding of the globalization of corporate R&D and the related driving factors and impacts. This introductory chapter provides an update of trends in the globalization of corporate R&D. It reviews the literature on the main drivers and impacts of the process under investigation, introduces the papers for this special section, and offers some concluding remarks.

Drivers and impacts in the globalization of corporate R&D: an introduction based on the European experience