Milking partners or symbiotic know-how enhancement? International versus national alliances in Japan's biotech industry
This paper is about (research) alliances among companies as a strategy to overcome Japan's weakness in basic R&D. New biotechnology is selected as an interesting case in point. Does co-operation in the field of biotechnology primarily aim at gaining access to scientific resources and commercial success ("milking partners"), or is it an interactive "give and take" in order to combine the strengths of both partners? A two-fold empirical investigation was undertaken: two databases containing worldwide alliances in biotechnology were explored and around 20 case studies were conducted. International and national partnerships as well as the role of the state and universities are examined. The analysis indicates that several motives for co-operating are relevant. At an international level, one of the major reasons is to gain access to technology, while balanced partnerships are also increasing. At a national level, Japanese firms often tend to refrain from providing access to internal scientific resources and frequently regard joint government-sponsored R&D as unavoidable, but without major positive results expected.
Year of publication: |
2000
|
---|---|
Authors: | Gassel, Katrin ; Pascha, Werner |
Published in: |
International Business Review. - Elsevier, ISSN 0969-5931. - Vol. 9.2000, 5, p. 625-640
|
Publisher: |
Elsevier |
Keywords: | Biotechnology Japan Strategic alliances Research consortia R&D Industrial policy International business |
Saved in:
Online Resource
Saved in favorites
Similar items by person
-
Gassel, Katrin, (1998)
-
"Japan im Netz" : eine Materialsammlung zur Nutzung des Internet
Beckmann, Heinz Jürgen, (1995)
-
Gassel, Katrin, (1997)
- More ...