Leveraging internal and external experience: exploration,exploitation, and R&D project performance

Although one tenet in the alliance literature is that firms learn from prior experience, we posit that any potential learning effects depend on the type of experience. In particular, we hypothesize that alliance exploitation experience has positive effects on R&D project performance, while alliance exploration experience has negative effects. We further posit that an internal exploration competence allows firms to leverage their external exploitation experience more fully. In contrast, when firms combine internal exploitation experience with external exploration experience, the negative effects on R&D project performance become more pronounced. To test this integrative model of organizational learning, we leverage a unique and detailed dataset of 412 R&D projects in biotechnology conducted by large pharmaceutical companies between 1980 and 2000. Using a competing risk event history model predicting successful product approval versus project termination, we find support for our theoretical model. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

世界海洋生物技术产业分析

本文从海洋生物技术的主要产业链、海洋生物技术产业在国民经济中的独特地位与作用、海洋生物技术产业的渗透性、海洋生物技术产业对国民经济各行业的关联带动作用等方面较为详细地论述了海洋生物技术产品开发的过程、海洋生物技术产业结构和资源潜力、海洋生物技术产业与其他产业的联系,阐明了海洋生物技术产业的地位和作用。同时,对当今世界海洋生物技术产业的发展现状进行了分析。     

Genes to feed the world: The weakest link?

The new science of genomics has an important contribution to make to the development of agriculture in the ‘Third World’ and thus to improving the livelihoods of many of the poorest people on earth. The persistence of poverty demonstrates, however, that this contribution is not yet being made. We therefore examine the web of connections between the two and enquire whether they could be strengthened in some way, perhaps by the addition of some vital ‘missing link’, so that the contribution from genomics can be maximised. Since the use of molecular markers to help develop improved crop varieties (marker-assisted selection) constitutes one of the main ways in which genomic knowledge could be used to improve rural livelihoods, we review this technology and discuss the ways in which it could contribute to plant breeding. We argue that marker-assisted selection (MAS) is likely to be most effective when it is both (i) linked to the farmers who are expected to cultivate the new crop varieties that will eventually be developed; and (ii) integrated with plant breeding and with a range of complementary disciplines. Such integration necessarily involves the formation of effective trans-disciplinary teams, an undertaking that is often problematic, and so the final part of this article considers the processes that this involves and suggests ways in which they may be managed effectively.     

Dynamic Supply Response and Welfare Effects of Technological Change on Perennial Crops: The Case of Cocoa in Malaysia

Modern biotechnology will generate crops with higher yields and enhanced resistance to pests and diseases. In the case of perennial crops, the age composition of the present stand, the farmers' willingness to invest, and the yield profiles of old and new trees determine the speed of adoption of the new technology and the timing of the effects on supply and demand conditions. We adapt conventional welfare measures to account for these factors in the Assessment of research induced supply shifts. The application to cocoa in Malaysia shows that consumers and adopting producers gain and non-adopters lose. Overall, 72% of the welfare gains go to the consumers.     

生物工程技术基础实验教学改革的探索

结合近年来生物工程技术基础实验的开设和完成情况的工作经验的总结,对该课程实验教学的内容和方法进行改革,即为转变教学观念,增加实验课的比重;课堂教学与实验教学相辅相成;培养学生良好的实验习惯及改革实验课程考核方式,从而更好地达到开设生物工程技术基础实验的目的。     

印度生物技术发展综述

印度政府比较早地认识到了生物技术对于发展经济和保障民生所具有的巨大潜力,本文分析研究了印度为发展生物技术所采取的方针政策和措施及其取得的成效,包括在政府中设立的主管部门,制定的生物技术发展战略,实施的多项促进生物技术发展计划,突出介绍了生物农业、生物制药等领域取得的成绩,在注重人才培养、搭建平台、推动生物技术成果转化等方面的经验,同时也提出了印度发展生物技术面临的机遇和挑战。     

Emerging Australian Biotechnology Companies: Globalizing or Just Playing?

The biotechnology industry is seen as one of the most globalized. It is also an industry dominated by SMEs in most countries. It would be expected then that these biotechnology SMEs themselves would be global in their focus. It is the intent of this research to understand the globalization issues that are encouraging biotechnology companies to go global, whether these companies really are truly global companies, and if not, at which stage of the globalization process these companies are operating. The study is undertaken using secondary quantitative data on all the publicly listed biotechnology companies in Australia that have undertaken some form of internationalization, based on 2003/4 annual reports. The main conclusion from the research is Australian biotechnology companies are still in an immature stage of development in the globalization process. The companies’ market strategies are directed at profitable countries and regions, such as the USA and Europe. This neglects other markets that are more accessible and can provide much needed early income streams. The internationalization effort of Australian biotechnology companies is only partial and could not be considered to be a true globalization effort.     

Product attributes,consumer benefits and public approval of genetically modified foods

The use of biotechnology in food production has generated considerable debate involving the benefits and risks associated with its use. Consumer acceptance of genetically modified foods is a critical factor that will affect the future of this technology. Using data from a national survey, this study examines how public acceptance of food biotechnology is related to consumers’ socioeconomic and value attributes as well as the benefits associated with the use of this technology. Empirical results suggest that consumer acceptance of food biotechnology increases considerably when the use of this technology brings tangible benefits for the public. Consumers with different socioeconomic and demographic attributes have diverging views of food biotechnology only when its use brings specific benefits to them. When the use of genetic technology confers no additional benefit, public attitudes towards genetically modified foods are driven primarily by their scientific knowledge, views of scientists and corporations associated with biotechnology as well as public trust and confidence in government.     

Technological races and stock market value: evidence from the pharmaceutical industry

We provide estimates of the abnormal stock market returns associated with pharmaceutical firms’ announcements of technological and regulatory successes in drug development. On the basis of these estimates, we find empirical support for two key features of technological race models. First, we observe that leaders in the innovation race record higher abnormal returns than do latecomers when they announce a success. Hence, firms should indeed be racing to complete the innovation process before their rivals. Second, pharmaceutical firms are adversely affected by the technological and regulatory success of their rivals, implying that interfirm spillovers in drug development are not sufficient to offset technological rivalry. Additional results are also produced regarding the impact of competition on R&D racing and the extent of therapeutic competition.