Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management

 

Special Issue on: "Barriers to Innovation in Home Country: Can Internationalisation of R&D Mitigate their Effects?"

Guest Editors: Prof. Cornelius Herstatt, Rajnish Tiwari and Dr. Stephan Buse, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Germany

Technological advancements, especially in information and communication technologies (ICT) have enhanced greatly the competition already spurred by the globalisation of world economies. Even small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are no more immune to the challenges that the globalisation brings about. Innovative ideas and products are becoming increasingly important to counter the price-oriented competition on home turf and abroad from low-cost producers acting globally and leveraging production facilities in emerging economies. The innovation capacity of many firms is however hampered by a number of barriers to innovation, e.g. resource constraints. They hinder the firm’s capacity to invent and successfully commercialise new products, services or processes.

Global innovation activities are therefore thought to be necessary to gain, retain, and further strengthen the competitive position in that they may provide access to cost-effective, highly qualified resources or help tap an attractive market. The incentive to go for global innovation is also enhanced by given socio-demographic factors in the industrialised economies, e.g. shortage of skilled labor due to aging population and lack of student interest in natural sciences.

It may partially explain the increasing share of R&D funds spent and patents generated abroad by globally operating firms. For instance, in 2002, subsidiaries of US firms spent over 21 billion USD for R&D efforts abroad, mainly in the European Union (EU) countries and Japan, but also increasingly in India and China. On the same lines German firms spent nearly 11 billion euros for R&D efforts abroad in 2003. In turn, subsidiaries of foreign-owned firms spent 12.4 billion euros the same year in Germany. This trend is however not limited to industrialised economies. An increasing number of firms from India and China are reported to be setting up R&D centers abroad in industrialised countries such as USA and Germany (primarily knowledge- and infrastructure seeking) or to other emerging economies like India, China or in Eastern Europe (cost drivers, access to market).

This special issue intends to bring together academicians, practitioners, and policy makers to investigate and exchange novel ideas and circulate knowledge covering the broad area of “global innovation”, its connection to barriers to innovation in the home environment and the related policy implications. Experts and professionals from academia, industry, government and the public sector are invited to submit papers on their recent research and professional experience on the subject. Interdisciplinary research is specifically encouraged.

Subject Coverage
Papers dealing with (but not limited to) any of the following themes are appropriate for consideration:

• Barriers to innovation, e.g. country-, sector- or size specific barriers
• Globalisation of innovation (the complete innovation value chain)
• Trends in internationalisation of R&D
• Between industrialised countries
• From industrialised to emerging countries
• From emerging countries to industrialised countries
• Between emerging countries
• Forms of international (offshore) R&D
• Joint ventures and cooperation
• Captive centers
• Contract R&D by specialised third-party outsourcers
• Advantages and challenges of international R&D operations
• Market, knowledge and cost factors
• Organisational and other managerial challenges
• Ground realities in international R&D operations
• Firm Behavior in meeting dual challenges of innovation barriers and globalisation
• Structure and strategy for R&D in global corporations
• International R&D and the dynamics of firms and sectors
• Drivers of international corporate R&D investments
• New and emerging issues in (international) corporate R&D
• Policy implications for dealing with barriers to innovation
• Strengthening of sectoral, regional and national innovation systems
• Implications for FDI policies in industrialised and emerging countries
• Implications for institutional infrastructure especially in emerging countries
• Policy measures for SMEs support programmes etc.

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere

All papers are refereed through a peer review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page

Important Dates

Submission of papers: 31 July 2008

Feedback to authors: 15 September 2008

Final paper due: 31 October 2008