Does international research and development increase patent output? An analysis of Japanese pharmaceutical firms

Internationalizing research and development is often advocated as a strategy for fostering the development of technological capabilities. Although firms conduct international R&D to tap into knowledge bases that reside in foreign countries, we argue that in order to benefit from international R&D investments firms must already possess research capabilities in underlying or complementary technologies. We examine the international R&D expansion activities, research capabilities, and patent output of 65 Japanese pharmaceutical firms from 1980 to 1991. We find that firms benefit from international R&D only when they possess existing research capabilities in the underlying technologies. In addition to refining our understanding of when international R&D enhances firm innovation, our results integrate asset‐seeking and asset‐based theories of foreign direct investment. Internationalizing R&D to tap into foreign knowledge bases is consistent with asset‐seeking theories of foreign direct investment, while the contingent nature by which firms benefit from international R&D is consistent with asset‐based theories of foreign direct investment and the notion of absorptive capacity. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A bootstrapped robust data envelopment analysis model for efficiency estimating of telecommunication companies in Iran

One of the primary concerns in measuring the relative efficiency of a telecommunication unit compared with other similar units is the uncertainty on input/output data. In this paper, a bootstrapped robust data envelopment analysis (BRDEA) model is proposed to measure the efficiency of telecommunication companies. The proposed method is capable of handling different issues such as the uncertainty in data or sampling errors. The model is examined using some real data from a telecommunication company. First, the data from 24 telecommunication companies are assumed with uncertainty and the efficiency of telecommunication companies are estimated using a robust DEA model. Then, the results of the efficiencies are corrected by a bootstrapping technique. The results indicate that the BRDEA method considers the perturbation in data and sampling error with an adaptation of bootstrapped robust data envelopment analysis and could be more reliable for efficiency estimating strategies.     

The internationalisation of research and development by Japanese enterprises

Evidence indicates that Japanese Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) have established a large number of R&D labs outside of Japan in recent years. It is suggested that these units play particular roles in global-innovation strategies, which are themselves a key element in global competition. The first role played by such overseas units is to provide basic research inputs, that help the Japanese parent companies to derive the basis for a new generation of products. It appears that this role is especially prominent in Japanese MNEs, who are notably responsive to the high-quality science-base in certain countries. The second role of overseas R&D in global-innovation strategies is to develop specific variants of new products that fully respond to distinctive consumer needs, and production conditions, in important national (or regional, e.g. European) markets.     

Comparison of Chinese and Korean companies in ICT global standardization: Essential patent analysis

The latecomers from Asia—China and Korea—started to participate in information and communication technology (ICT) global standardizations as they accumulated technological capabilities. We observed the current situation of ICT global standardizations in those countries by analyzing the mobile communications standards, WCDMA and LTE, and derived interesting findings and meaningful implications from the analysis. First, this paper provides evidence of the differences in Chinese and Korean standard strategies; China is creating its own standard whereas Korea goes with global standardization. Second, this paper shows the subsequent results of the different strategies. In detail, we conducted an analysis based on (declared) essential patents in WCDMA and LTE. The results indicate that China and Korea hold a significant number of essential patents and their numbers compete with those of leading countries. However, the analysis shows that Korea accumulated domestic knowledge that enables the country to actively participate in standardization,but China still heavily relies on foreign knowledge, probably because China is attempting to create its own standard and accumulating knowledge takes a long time despite its efforts.Our findings have several implications for leading countries and other following countries.     

A comparative analysis of new product development by Italian and Japanese manufacturing companies: A case study

Based on survey data from Italian and Japanese companies, six measurement scales are developed for practices, process, strategic guide, and capabilities for new product development as potential determinants of its financial performance, that is, attainment of profit goals and revenue goals. By employing a regression model with a country dummy variable, the differential determinants of financial goals attainment between Italian and Japanese samples are estimated. A significant difference can be found in the impact of new product development capabilities on profit goals attainment only. Then, we evaluate the level of improvement in explanatory power by dividing the pooled sample into two and enabling regression coefficients to take different values, and find no evidences of the significant improvement. Technology and marketing capabilities concerning new product development are demonstrated to be overwhelmingly important to financial performance.     

The development of consulting in goods-based companies

The article focuses on the developments in several B2B companies which traditionally produce goods and based on this experience are trying to enter the business of management consulting. It is the aim of the paper to identify the specific challenges that these companies are facing regarding marketing and selling their management consulting services. Furthermore hypotheses are developed that should give direction how to overcome those challenges successfully. Due to the lack of current research results, an explorative case study approach is chosen referring to two companies from the IT industry having gained relevant experience in this business area. In addition, theoretical frameworks demonstrate the plausibility of the hypotheses developed. If further research supports these hypotheses, it will have significant impact on the market strategy, marketing communication and sales organization of companies going to increase their consulting services.     

新政策背景下国内制药企业新药研发的思考

国内制药企业在新药研发中存在着一些误区,在新的政策背景下,企业应调整研发思路,形成符合自身实力和需求的开发策略.     

Measuring the efficiency of assembled printed circuit boards with undesirable outputs using data envelopment analysis

The printed circuit board (PCB) assembling production process is generally optimized to ensure very low levels of errors (defects) so as to produce the higher quality product. The evaluation of efficiency of different types of PCB (cards) could help the management in identifying the quality of assembly process to work out appropriate interventions to prevent failures. This study uses the technique of data envelopment analysis to assess the efficiency of cards across all assembly units as well as within its respective assembly unit in the presence of undesirable outputs under the assumption of weak disposability. In our case, the three types of errors, viz., machine error, manual errors and other errors that occur in the defective assembled PCBs are considered as the undesirable outputs. In-depth analysis has been carried out through jackknifing analysis to check the robustness of DEA efficiency scores. The best practice group of cards for each inefficient card has been identified which eventually facilitate the management to derive the level of undesirable outputs to be reduced and desirable output to be improved so as to achieve the level of efficiency at par with its practice group.     

Engineering careers and technology transfer: Japanese companies in the UK

This article examines two issues: first how Japanese companies recruit, train and utilise engineers in their UK transplants; secondly, how technology transfer between British and Japanese engineers is affected by career structures. It draws on questionnaire responses from 88 companies and interviews at a small number of sites.     

河北省高新区投入产出相对效率分析

运用数据包络分析法,以河北省15家主要高新技术开发区为研究对象,对其进行投入产出相对效率分析。结果表明石家庄、邢台、承德、唐山、廊坊燕郊、保定涿州、唐山丰南7家效率高,而其余8家效率较低,并进一步分析了其效率低的原因。     

2008年国际大石油公司经营状况及发展动向

受外部经营环境急剧变化影响,2008年国际大石油公司经营业绩呈现前高后低的特点,各公司净利润增减不一,原油产量、加工量和油品销量普遍下降,上游生产成本持续上升,经营现金流总体增长。面对经营环境的不利变化,国际大石油公司立足长远发展,看好长期能源需求增长的总体趋势,继续保持较高的投资水平;继续推进油气资源接替,加大对非常规油气资源的投资,开始进入油气潜力大但政治风险高的地区进行勘探开发;加大营销业务整合力度,大幅削减零售业务,减少资本占用;抓住金融危机时期的难得机遇,利用现金充裕优势,在全球范围内寻机收购符合公司发展的战略性资产;继续投资替代能源和可再生能源领域,但投资的力度和步伐有所放缓,投资方向和投资地区更加集中。未来国际大石油公司将继续保持其投资增长水平,不断加大对非常规油气资源的投资力度;继续进行结构调整,优化资源配置,以实现投资回报最大化。     

The internal audit of research and development

Most activities might benefit from an independent review; but very little attention has been given to the review of research and development (R & D). The evolving scope of internal audit together with trends in R & D provide a more favourable climate for the internal audit of this industry of discovery (Walley, 1974, p. 191). This paper presents the results of a survey which was questionnaire based and completed by internal auditors, most of whom worked for industrial multinationals which are household names. They represented companies employing 0–61 m staff with a turnover of |SL12b p.a.; 75|X% of the respondent organizations were industrial concerns employing 0.56m with a turnover of |SL10.7b p.a., most of the remaining respondents being financial organizations. Forty-two per cent were under overseas control. By focusing on the practice and intentions of leading organizations with a record of progressive management, the results of the survey point a way which is likely to be followed more generally. As the internal audit departments were also large (29 auditors in each; 35 for the industrial departments) they were better placed to extend the scope of their work.     

国际大石油公司发展可再生能源现状及启示

可再生能源已得到各国政府、能源行业及社会的广泛关注.国际大石油公司研判世界能源发展趋势,投资发展风力及地热发电,合作开发生物质能源并完成技术储备,虽然减少太阳能投资却持有大量技术储备,同时加紧开发燃料电池及氢能源技术.中国的石油公司需要统筹兼顾可再生能源开发,因地制宜选择经济可靠的技术路线发展可再生能源,确保研发投入,广泛开展合作,争取可再生能源领域的跨越式发展,实现向综合性能源公司的转变.     

Research and development target‐setting difficulties addressed through the emergent method: technology forecasting using data envelopment analysis

The aim of this study is to provide a foundation for researchers and managers to discuss and resolve difficulties associated with research and development (R&D) target‐setting. While multiple studies mention the difficulty of R&D target‐setting, few have compiled reasons for these difficulties or addressed this issue in detail. This paper provides one of the first studies outlining reasons for R&D target‐setting difficulties through a literature review. It also provides an initial set of analyses and results after applying an emerging quantitative method, Technology Forecasting Using Data Envelopment Analysis (TFDEA), to illustrate these difficulties step‐by‐step to commercial airplanes. Results include determining the state of art in commercial airplane technology and technological rate‐of‐change variants in setting R&D targets.     

An analysis of the knowledge base of scientific research and development business services

It is argued that the literature on scientific research and development outsourcing focuses mostly on client firms, that is, the demand side, while little is known of the characteristics of the supplying sector. The present paper tackles this gap by elaborating an exploratory analysis of this business service sector with a view to analyze the main patterns of specialization and their evolution over time. Using data on job content and skill requirements in the United States, we elaborate a knowledge taxonomy of the sector and explore how different forms of knowledge coexist and coevolve.     

中国船供油市场发展现状及前景展望

全球船供油市场具有单次加油量大、流动性强的特点,市场竞争激烈.随着国际贸易的迅猛发展,全球船用燃料油消费量逐年增加,并呈高黏度发展趋势.中国船供油行业近年来发展很快,其中内贸船供油规模稳步扩大,市场化程度较高;保税船供油市场发展迅速,竞争加剧;但与庞大的港口吞吐量相比,船舶燃料油销售量仍然偏低.国内船供油行业多数国仓存在设备老化、包袱重的问题,而且面临行业外部发展环境不佳、行业内部竞争过度的压力.经历了2008年下半年国际油价暴跌的洗礼,国内船供油行业已重新迎来快速发展的机遇.预计未来中国将出现多个水上加油中心,并推动全球船供油重心向亚洲转移;中国船供油企业将把竞争重点转向服务品质,并加快走向世界,不断提高抗风险能力.