The Innovative Behaviour of MNC Subsidiaries in Uneven European Systems of Integration: A Comparative Analysis of the German and Irish Cases1

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the internationalisation of innovative activities of Multinational Corporations (MNCS) by making use of the Community Innovation Survey (CIS). We consider the implications for European countries’ National Systems of Innovation (NSI) by exploring the interaction of MNCs’ Subsidiaries (MNSBS) with domestic firms and institutions. A comparative methodology is established through the examination of different kinds of national firms versus MNSBs in two contrasting countries: Ireland and Germany.