Private-Sector and Public-Sector Strategies to Encourage Technological Alliances

Abstract

‘Technological alliances,’ ‘research joint ventures,’ ‘strategic networks’ are all terms that have become commonplace, as well as synonymous, within the so-called science and technology policy literature; however, few have attempted to distinguish among the meaning of these terms, much less to systematically conceptualize precisely to what they refer. For nearly two decades, innovative agents, firms specifically, have formally gone outside of their organizational boundaries to acquire technological knowledge from others in an effort to reduce innovation costs, to decrease time to market, and/or to leap-frog existing technologies. Whatever the strategic motive, and innovation is indeed a purposeful strategic action, these alliances have emphasized through example the importance of knowledge flows to on-going research agendas. Thus, one might think of ‘technological alliances’ as an arrangement—formal or informal—that comes about—intentionally, culturally, or by accident—for the purpose of facilitating knowledge flows.