Technological diversity,scientific excellence and the location of inventive activities abroad: the case of nanotechnology |
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Authors: | Andrea Fernández-Ribas Philip Shapira |
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Institution: | (1) School of Public Policy and Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0345, USA;(2) School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0345, USA;(3) Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK |
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Abstract: | Our contribution to the expanding literature on the globalization of research and innovation is to investigate the extent
to which sector-specific developments in an emerging technology (such as increasing interdisciplinarity and complexity) affect
inventive activities developed abroad. We look at how technological diversity and scientific excellence of host countries
in the field of nanotechnology affect the development of inventive activities by US multinational companies (MNCs). We identify
the most active US-based MNCs in nanotechnology-related patenting and examine location decisions of these companies and their
international subsidiaries. Econometric results confirm our hypothesis that the technological breadth of host countries positively
influences the expected number of inventions developed abroad by US MNCs. Science capabilities of countries also have a positive
impact on the decision to invent abroad, while the influence of market specific factors is less clear. We interpret these
results as suggesting that host country science capabilities are important to attract innovative activities by MNCs, but as
the interdisciplinary and convergent nature of nanotechnology evolves, access to a broadly diversified knowledge base becomes
important in increasing the relative attractiveness of host locations.
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Keywords: | Multinationals Innovation Location Patents Nanotechnology |
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