This innovative and clearly written book examines the process of diversification as a strategy to promote innovation and growth within firms and to foster structural change in industry. Through a comparative case study of the aerospace industry, using cases of diversification at Dassault (France), Saab (Sweden) and Daewoo (South Korea), the author examines interactions between the firm and the state, and critically evaluates the role of national and sectoral institutions during the diversification process. He then uses these findings to propose a new, original model for diversification.Key features include:an exploration of the ways in which the systems of innovation approach can be used to analyse strategies in firmsnew insights into the concept of 'institutions'an examination of the relationship between the behaviour of diversifying firms and institutionspath-breaking research on the South Korean aerospace industry.The combination of an up-to-date and thorough analysis of the general literature on diversification and its shortcomings, as well as three detailed case studies, will render this work invaluable to those interested in management studies and systems of innovation, and anyone working in the aircraft industry.