Organizing for innovation: R&D projects, activities and partners

Bruno Cassiman, Chiara di Guardo and Giovanni Valentini
Additional contact information
Chiara di Guardo: University of Cagliari
Giovanni Valentini: IESE Business School, Postal: Research Division, Av Pearson 21, 08034 Barcelona, SPAIN

No D/597, IESE Research Papers from IESE Business School

Abstract: We explore how R&D project characteristics condition the governance of an R&D project and its individual activities. Prior literature has tried to understand the factors - both at the industry and at the firm level - that influence the way in which firms partner for innovation. In this paper, through the analysis of detailed data from a subsidiary of STMicroelectronics, we identify the main drivers of partner selection for innovation. Partnering or contracting with universities for innovation is common practice for developing new -original- knowledge, as opposed to applying existing knowledge to a problem. But firms are more reluctant to partner, especially with other firms, when that knowledge directly enhances their competitiveness. However, conditional on cooperation, partners are more likely to act individually when the project is strategically important. Contracting for innovation to universities or research centers, as opposed to partnering, happens for more experimental projects, where highly original knowledge is developed, and typically early on in the project.

Keywords: Innovation strategy; Technological innovation; R&D projects' organization; Partner selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 26 pages
Date: 2005-07-14
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ent, nep-ino and nep-tid
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0597

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