Networks, Alliances and Partnerships in the Innovation Process

In the first years of the 21st century - an era of intense knowledge-based globalization and technology-based competition - the central role of networks, alliances and partnerships is becoming recognized. By looking at the dynamics of these strategic organizational activities, this title examines how firms align themselves, how they use networks and enter into partnerships in order to develop new or radically improved processes, and how they introduce new or radically improved products to the market. The work excludes, as a primary interest, spatial effects, such as those found in geographic clusters, or in regional innovation systems. The focus here is instead on the innovation process, and therefore examines framework issues about how we can assess networks of innovators, measurement issues for both researchers and official statisticians, and impact issues for both industry strategists and policy makers. Using an evolutionary perspective, and drawing on a range of disciplines, it explores important issues at the conceptual, methodological and comparative levels concerning the construction of comparative advantage.