Multinationals, clusters, and innovation : does public policy matter?

Most countries adopt policies in order to attract foreign multinationals, stimulate industrial clustering and to foster innovation. This book links these topical issues. It examines the activities of multinational enterprises, their contribution to cluster development, how they stimulate linkages with domestic firms and contribute to innovation. The efficiency, appropriateness and sufficiency of these policies is discussed, and practical proposals made throughout the volume. New empirical evidence is provided on a variety of industries and country contexts. ANA TERESA TAVARES is Assistant Professor at the University of Porto (CEMPRE, Faculty of Economics), Portugal. She has been a Visiting Professor in several international universities. Her areas of specialization include multinational subsidiaries' strategies and evolution, the impact of multinationals on host economies, and FDI-related policies. She has published widely on these topics in international journals and books, and has been a consultant to various institutions on regional development and on FDI policy. AURORA TEIXEIRA is Assistant Professor at the University of Porto (CEMPRE, Faculty of Economics), Portugal. Her areas of interest include innovation policy, human capital and growth-related policies. She has published on these topics in international journals and has a prize winning book on the role of human capital and innovation on Portuguese long-term economic growth.