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Strategic Alliances/Knowledge-Intensive Partnerships

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Innovation Policy

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Entrepreneurship and Innovation ((BRIEFSENTRE))

Abstract

The confluence of important developments in the international economic environment during the past two to three decades has turned inter-firm cooperation into an important mechanism of business interaction and market and technology access. Particularly in high- and medium-tech industries, the private sector has increasingly used various kinds of cooperative agreements such as joint ventures, joint R&D, technology exchange agreements, co-production, direct minority investments, and sourcing relationships to advance core strategic objectives. Called alliances (partnerships) in this chapter, such agreements imply deeper and steadier relationships than arm’s-length market exchanges but fall short of complete mergers. They involve mutual dependence and shared decision-making between two or more independent parties. When research and development is a focus of the partnership, universities and other research institutes may also participate.

Adapted from a chapter of the Innovation Policy Handbook report composed for the World Bank (2012). Original unpublished and available upon request.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For literature reviews see, for example, Caloghirou et al. (2003, 2004), Gomes-Casseres (1996), Gulati (1998), Hagedoorn et al. (2000), Hemphill and Vonortas (2003), Vonortas and Zirulia (2011).

  2. 2.

    For references to partnering in developing and transition countries see Deloitte (2004), Freeman and Hagedoorn (1994), Ivarsson and Alvstam (2005), Lee and Beamish (1995), Rondinelli and Black (2000), Si and Bruton (1999), and Vonortas (1998). A series of publications by UNCTAD review the literature on partnering and networking for national capacity building (UNCTAD 1999a, 1999b, 2000a, 2000b).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for International Science and Technology Policy, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA

    Timothy Williams

  2. Center for International Science and Technology Policy & Department of Economics, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA

    Nicholas S. Vonortas

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  1. Timothy Williams
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  2. Nicholas S. Vonortas
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Correspondence to Timothy Williams .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Nicholas S. Vonortas

  2. The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Phoebe C. Rouge

  3. SRI International & The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Anwar Aridi

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Williams, T., Vonortas, N. (2015). Strategic Alliances/Knowledge-Intensive Partnerships. In: Vonortas, N., Rouge, P., Aridi, A. (eds) Innovation Policy. SpringerBriefs in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2233-8_4

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