Upgrading the technological capabilities of foreign transnational subsidiaries in developing countries: The case of electronics in Thailand

Although substantial research shows the importance of transnational corporations (TNCs) to export-led growth in some developing countries, it cannot be assumed that TNC subsidiaries will automatically upgrade their capabilities through time or in a uniform fashion. This paper explores the pattern and pace of a sample of exporting TNC subsidiaries operating in the electronics industry in Thailand, showing how the different architectures of global value chains (centralised versus decentralised) shaped the technological progress of subsidiaries in this country. The case evidence suggests a wide variety in upgrading through time, with some subsidiaries failing to develop capabilities and remaining as ‘assembly only’ plants. Other more dynamic plants developed process engineering and product design skills, investing heavily in capability building. One common determinant in capability building appears to be the overall technology strategy of the global value chain leader (or parent company). In those subsidiaries which did not upgrade beyond assembly, technology decisions and processes were tightly controlled within the parent headquarter locations in relatively centralised international value networks. By contrast, the more dynamic plants exercised more discretion over local capability building. The latter operated in relatively decentralised networks, more open to domestic policies to encourage upgrading. The study suggests that governments should tailor upgrading policies not only according to the approximate level of capabilities attained by local subsidiaries, but also according to how receptive subsidiaries are to upgrading, arguing that capability building and policy receptiveness go hand-in-hand. Other countries hoping to upgrade the quality of foreign direct investment might also wish to focus policies on the more technologically capable, ambitious and receptive categories of foreign subsidiary.     

新常态下开发区土地集约利用评价研究——以钦州港经济技术开发区为例

目前经济发展进入"三期叠加"新常态,对节约集约利用土地资源提出新的要求。文章以钦州港经济技术开发区为例,构建新常态下开发区土地集约利用评价体系,采用多指标综合法对其主区和发展方向区土地利用集约程度进行评价,在此基础上提出促进土地集约利用的建议,以此加快开发区转型升级。     

论经济全球化背景下企业间的策略性技术联盟

本以经济全球化为背景，分析了企业间策略性技术联盟的主要原因和对世界经济发展所带来的影响。同时，针对我国企业在技术联盟方面存在的问题提出了几条基本对策。     

Reflections on “Profiting from Innovation”

How innovators capture value from innovation is an enduring question. Two decades ago an effort was made in “Profiting from Innovation” to unlock this conundrum. This paper reflects on the framework offered, identifies and reviews the analytical foundations of the theory, and recognizes subsequent contributions and advancements. Linkages are also made to the strategic management literature on “resources” and “dynamic capabilities”. Elements of a Schumpeterian theory of the firm are outlined, along with a framework to assist management in designing technology commercialization strategies.     

Profiting from technological innovation by others: The effect of competitor patenting on firm value

In 1986, Teece proposed a seminal framework for analyzing why innovators may fail to benefit from their innovations. He argued, in part, that firms with the requisite complementary assets can often expropriate an innovator's returns especially when appropriability regimes are weak. In this paper, we explore the implications of this framework from the perspective of an incumbent firm—more precisely, of investors in that firm—facing innovation by established corporate rivals and by inventors from outside its industry. We demonstrate that the financial-market value of publicly traded firms depends on patented innovation by competitors (both established rivals and industry outsiders). Our empirical study generates three main results. First, the financial-market value of an incumbent is negatively associated with “important” patenting by outside inventors. Second, in industries characterized by weak appropriability regimes or by a strong reliance on complementary assets, this relationship is reversed: important patenting by outsiders is positively associated with the incumbent's financial-market value. Third, the effect of outsiders’ patented innovation on the focal incumbent is qualitatively different than that of established rivals’ patented innovation on the incumbent. These results are consistent with implications of Teece [Teece, D., 1986. Profiting from Innovation, Research Policy] and with recently developed models that formalize elements of his framework. More generally, these results support theories about both the market-stealing and spillover effects of innovation.     

The micro-determinants of meso-level learning and innovation: evidence from a Chilean wine cluster

Most analyses of the relationship between spatial clustering and the technological learning of firms have emphasised the influence of the former on the latter, and have focused on intra-cluster learning as the driver of innovative performance. This paper reverses those perspectives. It examines the influence of individual firms’ absorptive capacities on both the functioning of the intra-cluster knowledge system and its interconnection with extra-cluster knowledge. It applies social network analysis to identify different cognitive roles played by cluster firms and the overall structure of the knowledge system of a wine cluster in Chile. The results show that knowledge is not diffused evenly ‘in the air’, but flows within a core group of firms characterised by advanced absorptive capacities. Firms’ different cognitive roles include some—as in the case of technological gatekeepers—that contribute actively to the acquisition, creation and diffusion of knowledge. Others remain cognitively isolated from the cluster, though in some cases strongly linked to extra-cluster knowledge. Possible implications for policy are noted.     

工作关联性、朋友网络范围、网络地位与工作意义——有调节的中介模型

对于工作意义形成机制的研究已从员工个体特征(动机、信念等因素)转向了社会关系视角,关注于企业中同事、领导、朋友对员工工作意义的影响。然而,基于社会学"组织现场理论"的分析发现:建立在客观的工作联系基础上的人际关系才能有效地影响员工工作意义感知。据此建立起"工作关联性、朋友网络范围、网络地位与工作意义"间有调节的中介模型关系,利用社会网络分析技术及相关量表进行了问卷调查,经过统计分析发现:工作关联性正向影响朋友网络范围,朋友网络范围正向影响工作意义,但是朋友网络地位调节了朋友网络范围与工作意义间正向关系的强度——朋友网络地位越高(即员工与较高层级成员间人际关系越紧密)则朋友网络范围对工作意义的影响越弱。实践启示是:企业应通过员工之间横向工作间的紧密联系来提高员工的工作意义感,而不是企业文化宣贯、领导、全员范围内的大型集体活动。     

粤港澳大湾区协同技术创新现状与趋势研究

以粤港澳大湾区合作申请专利计量信息为依据,采用SPSS统计分析法对大湾区11个城市协同技术创新的时序、技术领域、区域空间分布、协同主体等现状特征进行了探究,并对其趋势进行了预测。研究发现：（1）大湾区协同技术创新呈持续增长态势,正逐渐从数量速度型向质量效益型转变。（2）大湾区城市间的协同技术创新发展不平衡,具有地域邻近特征。（3）各城市间协同技术创新的核心技术有所差异,新兴核心技术领域空间集聚效应越趋明显。（4）各城市应该结合技术创新优势,增强对创新技术研发的协作、吸收和转化,促进核心技术和新兴技术不断生长、更新和发展。     

Long-term research on technology innovation in the form of new technology patents

Recent changes in innovation development are related to the new technological revolution (Industry 4.0), pandemic, economic crises, and new legislation. These trends provide new opportunities for the improvement of production materials, construction, processes, and capacities. Innovative technologies improve the processes of business analyses and forecasting, as well as new product development, order processing, logistics, production automation, quality control, and marketing. Modern technologies are gradually replacing ergonomically demanding and dangerous occupations. Such innovations are particularly necessary for the transformation of problem companies and regions, as they often have a significant impact on economic development. This study is part of our long-term research on the technology innovation of problem companies and regions. Its primary goal is to methodically emphasize the importance and role of technology innovation management, mainly in problem companies, and analytically compare the innovation success of regions and countries from a global perspective. The study was carried out from 2015 to 2021. The time scope of the analyzed data is 2000–2018. The results show a certain Asian dominance in technology innovation management, in terms of the number of technology patents as well as of the growth dynamics and the ability to overcome the pandemic and crises in general.     

科技成果评价指标体系研究

我国科技成果在转化过程中面临着诸多障碍,其中一个重要因素就是缺乏科学、完善的科技成果评价体制。针对这一问题,通过问卷调查,综合不同领域多位专家的意见并基于层次分析法,分别构建了技术开发类应用技术成果、社会公益类应用技术成果和软科学研究成果的评价指标体系。这套评价指标体系的建立在一定程度上能够为科技部门进行科学、合理的科技成果评价提供理论参考。