Formation of R&D consortia: industry and company effects

• Published in: Strategic management journal Vol. 23; no. 11; pp. 1033 - 1050
• Main Author: Sakakibara, Mariko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-11-2002; John Wiley and Sons; Wiley; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Alliances; Applied sciences; appropriability; Business structures; Case studies; Competition; Consortia; Cooperation; Corporate strategies; Costs; Economic competition; Enterprises; Exact sciences and technology; Extractive industries; Firm modelling; Impact analysis; Industrial economics; Industrial market; Industry; industry and company effects; International alliances; Investigations; Management; network; Operational research and scientific management; Operational research. Management science; Participation; Product markets; R&D; R&D consortia; Research & development; Research and development; Strategic management; Studies; Asia; Japan; Competition; Industry; Economics; Economy; Capability; Industrial firm; Cooperation; Consortium; Large scale; Firm; Firm strategy
• ISSN: 0143-2095; 1097-0266
• DOI: 10.1002/smj.272

This study investigates economic and strategic inducements of R&D cooperation. We focus on industry and company factors that affect a firm's rate of participation in R&D consortia. These factors are analyzed in a dynamic context using a sample of 312 Japanese firms in 74 industries between 1969 and 1992. We find a firm in an industry with weak competition and appropriability conditions has a higher rate of consortia participation. A firm's R&D capabilities, network formation through past consortia, encounter with other firms in product markets, age, and past participation in large-scale consortia also positively affect its tendency of consortia formation.