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Management of Technology and Innovation in Japan

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Global <strong>Innovation</strong> <strong>and</strong> Knowledge Flows <strong>in</strong> <strong>Japan</strong>ese <strong>and</strong> European Corporations 317<br />

novation. In Germany, as an example, overemphasized eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g strength <strong>of</strong>ten<br />

works aga<strong>in</strong>st market responsiveness <strong>and</strong> customer <strong>in</strong>volvement.<br />

Key Issue 1:<br />

WhereistheCore <strong>of</strong> Value Added <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Innovation</strong> Process /<br />

Where is the Eng<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Innovation</strong> Process?<br />

„Rear-Drive“<br />

„Front-Drive“<br />

RESEARCH-BASED<br />

RESEARCH-BASED<br />

INNOVATIONS<br />

INNOVATIONS<br />

/<br />

/<br />

Scientific<br />

Scientific<br />

Advance<br />

Advance<br />

Examples:<br />

• Genetic eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• High-energy physics<br />

• Superconductivity<br />

ENGINEERING<br />

ENGINEERING<br />

INNOVATION<br />

INNOVATION<br />

/<br />

/<br />

Advanced<br />

Advanced<br />

ManuManufactur<strong>in</strong>gfactur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Examples:<br />

• Automotive eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />

• Mechatronics<br />

• Plasma technology<br />

LEAD<br />

LEAD<br />

MARKET<br />

MARKET<br />

INNOVATION<br />

INNOVATION<br />

/<br />

/<br />

Customer<br />

Customer<br />

Integration<br />

Integration<br />

& &<br />

Services<br />

Services<br />

Research may generate Close Interaction between Implementation <strong>of</strong> new<br />

new Products <strong>and</strong> Indu- Product- & Process Deve- Bus<strong>in</strong>ess concepts <strong>and</strong><br />

stries / Embeddedness <strong>in</strong> lopment / Embeddedness Service Configurations /<br />

Research community <strong>in</strong>to advanced Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g Interaction with Lead<br />

critical<br />

<strong>and</strong> Supplier network Users & Network Exter-<br />

critical<br />

nalities on Dem<strong>and</strong><br />

side critical<br />

Examples:<br />

• Telecommunication<br />

• Automotive electronics<br />

• Medical products &<br />

services<br />

Fig. 2. Core <strong>of</strong> value-added <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>novation process / Three different types <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>novations<br />

Home-Base Augment<strong>in</strong>g vs. Home-Base Exploit<strong>in</strong>g R&D<br />

Strategies<br />

There is a grow<strong>in</strong>g literature on foreign R&D laboratories <strong>in</strong> MNCs, <strong>and</strong> on R&D<br />

<strong>of</strong>fshor<strong>in</strong>g decisions (Khan <strong>and</strong> Yoshihara 1994; Gerybadze <strong>and</strong> Reger 1999;<br />

Kümmerle 1997, 1999; Dalton <strong>and</strong> Serapio 1999; Narula <strong>and</strong> Zanfei 2004). Earlier<br />

studies <strong>of</strong> foreign R&D have concentrated on uni-directional knowledge flows:<br />

lead<strong>in</strong>g R&D activities were concentrated <strong>in</strong> the home-base <strong>of</strong> MNCs, <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>in</strong><br />

close proximity to headquarters. Companies like BASF <strong>and</strong> Bayer built on strong<br />

capabilities <strong>in</strong> polymer chemistry <strong>and</strong> concentrated most <strong>of</strong> their advanced R&D<br />

projects <strong>in</strong> Ludwigshafen <strong>and</strong> Leverkusen, Germany respectively. <strong>Japan</strong>ese electronics<br />

companies concentrated most <strong>of</strong> their lead<strong>in</strong>g R&D laboratories <strong>in</strong> the<br />

greater Tokyo region. Knowledge generated at home was later transferred to foreign<br />

R&D labs, <strong>and</strong> products <strong>and</strong> processes became adapted to local conditions.<br />

We call this process home-base exploit<strong>in</strong>g R&D, as is illustrated on the left side <strong>in</strong><br />

Figure 3.

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