Marketing and r&d strategies for biotechnology firms in the usa

This pape reports on a survey of 64 biotechnology firms in the USA about their R&D strategy, marketing focud and sources of technology. The survey explored the interrelationships among the strategic issues and how they were related with the means of appropriating R&D results. Three stralegic clusters for technology acquisitin emerged from the data: (i) internal developer, (ii) joint developer, and (iii) cooperative financed. Three marketing clusters were: (i) market penetartor, (ii) innovative marketer, and (iii) market developer. The R&D clusters were: (i) defensive strategy, (ii) aggressive strategy, and (iii) research-intensive strategy. External sources of technology appeared to be predominant among thje various firms and apparently marketing strategy and source of technology had no significant relationship. Most of the firms were involved with commercial innovation in their R&D strategy and few were research specialists. Innovative firms were inclined to depend on external sources sources of technology. Issues related to appropriability of R&D results for the different groups have been examined for their implications for public policy.     

Industry characteristics influencing the technical output: A case of small and medium size firms in the US

Using the small and medium size firms in the US as a sample, this paper reports on interrelationship among patents, publications and new products. Correlates of R&D expenditure, patents and papers and new products are presented. Relationships between firm size and R&D output and productivity are also investigated.
Since the study is based on correlational analysis, causal inferences are not drawn. The data indicates that the three indicators are related, but their strength of relationship varies with industries. Growth of sales is related with new products, but not with patents or papers.
Although the data point to the fact that small firms are more productive than their larger counterparts, there are many reasons to come to such a sweeping generalisation. Reporting of R&D data is not reliable for small firms as the very definition of R&D differs from firm to firm. Nature of R&D also changes as the firm grows in size; opportunities for patents or new products also change accordingly. These make it difficult to accurately measure and compare the R&D efficiency across firms of different sizes.     

Critical factors in technological innovation and their policy implications

This paper explores the critical factors which affect the innovation proccess. Some ways in which some of these factors can be influenced by appropriate policy measures are discussed. In particular, the role of the federal government in promoting innovation is discussed.The role of the government in stimulating and nurturing the innovation process is a controversial one. Proponents of the free enterprise system, many of whom are spokespersons for various industries, have persistently pointed out the deleterious effects of regulation and control on the innovation process. By contrast, advocates of an activist government role are often able to cite the protection of the common welfare as a primary need for government intervention. In truth, the “government” is a patchwork of many governments, operating through many agencies and affecting firms and individuals at several levels and leverage points. The same regulation that has deleterious effects on Industry A may be a stimulus for innovation in Industry B. Even in Industry A, the regulation may act as a force in directing efforts toward certain types of R&D programs that would not otherwise be undertaken.In this paper we examine the specific instances where innovation projects, both product or process types, were affected by government regulation. We also briefly review the critical factors which affect the innovation process and how various governments in industrialized countries have taken actions to influence these factors. Finally, we examine some general guidelines for policymaking purposes.     

Speeding Up the Pace of New Product Development

This study empirically investigates a wide array of factors that have been argued to differentiate fast from slow innovation processes from the perspective of the research and development organization. We test the effects of strategic orientation (criteria- and scope-related variables) and organizational capability (staffing- and structuring-related variables) on the speed of 75 new product development projects from ten large firms in several industries. Backward-elimination regression analysis revealed that (a) clear time-goals, longer tenure among team members, and parallel development increased speed, whereas (b) design for manufacturability, frequent product testing, and computer-aided design systems decreased speed. However, when projects were sorted by magnitude of change, different factors were found to influence the speed of radical and incremental projects. Moreover, some factors that sped up radical innovation (e.g., concept clarity, champion presence, co-location) were found to slow down incremental innovation. Together, the radical and incremental models explain differences in speed better than the general model. This suggests a contingency approach to speeding up innovation. Implications for researchers and managers are discussed.     

Private peering,transit and traffic diversion

Private peering refers to settlement-free connectivity agreements between Internet Service Providers meant to interconnect their networks by-passing congested National Access Points. We explore the incentives for bilateral peering with particular emphasis on traffic diversion. A private peering agreement between two providers improves the quality of both and would divert traffic from third parties. This provides an incentive for peering. A three-player model is introduced and analyzed. Complication introduced by price competition and heterogeneous consumers are also studied.     

FDI and the skill premium in a North–South global economy

The effect of FDI from North to South countries on the skill premium of both groups of countries is examined. The lower wage of unskilled labor in the South induces the Northern firms to shift the unskilled labor intensive production processes in the South. FDI occurs in an unskilled labor intensive activity, but in a skill-intensive sector. It is shown that this leads to an increase in the skill premium of skilled labor in both North and South.     

Marketing and r&d strategies for biotechnology firms in the usa

This pape reports on a survey of 64 biotechnology firms in the USA about their R&D strategy, marketing focud and sources of technology. The survey explored the interrelationships among the strategic issues and how they were related with the means of appropriating R&D results. Three stralegic clusters for technology acquisitin emerged from the data: (i) internal developer, (ii) joint developer, and (iii) cooperative financed. Three marketing clusters were: (i) market penetartor, (ii) innovative marketer, and (iii) market developer. The R&D clusters were: (i) defensive strategy, (ii) aggressive strategy, and (iii) research-intensive strategy. External sources of technology appeared to be predominant among thje various firms and apparently marketing strategy and source of technology had no significant relationship. Most of the firms were involved with commercial innovation in their R&D strategy and few were research specialists. Innovative firms were inclined to depend on external sources sources of technology. Issues related to appropriability of R&D results for the different groups have been examined for their implications for public policy.