This book deals with some of the most important questions in innovation research such as the role of corporate governance, national systems of innovation, and government regulation in the development and adoption of innovations. In particular, it presents new evidence on the factors which shape innovation in construction by drawing on extensive interviews with construction firms across Europe. The authors offer broad lessons for the systems of innovation approach and suggest that particular structures of ownership and management, and inter-organisational relations are responsible for variations in the economic performance of the construction industry in different European countries. The particular challenges posed by the adoption of sustainable technologies such as natural thermal insulation and active solar heating systems are also explored. These environmental innovations are expected to have an impact on sustainable building and regeneration, and at a more general level can help identify the factors which can facilitate or inhibit the innovation process. Importantly, the book does not simply focus on the relationship between technology, firm organisation and competitiveness, but also considers the social and institutional aspects which affect the construction sector's ability to innovate. The extensive case studies from 5 European countries allow the reader to analyse innovation performance from an international comparative perspective. Innovation in Construction represents an important contribution to the theoretical debate on innovation. It will be highly useful to scholars and students interested in innovation studies, environmental management, and construction management and economics.

This book examines the way in which the increasing internationalization of services, including the operation of multinationals in this sector, interacts with the process of innovation in services. The book challenges the theoretical traditions that have developed around the analysis of service innovation and internationalization, and argues for a new research agenda. The distinguished contributors address many of the most pertinent issues and adopt a variety of theoretical and empirical approaches to enrich the debates. In contrast to most other books on this topic, this volume pays particular attention to services that are knowledge or technology intensive. It elucidates the process of internationalization of such services (through trade and FDI) and stresses the important role it plays in the globalization of production, distribution and innovation. The book also highlights the significant implications service internationalization can have for the competitiveness of firms, regions and countries. The authors thoroughly evaluate trade and investment statistics in order to identify different modes of internationalization and the substantial cross-national differences that this reveals. They move on to examine the organizational structure of multinationals, the new international division of labour and the factors which can influence the location decisions of knowledge-intensive services. Using extensive survey data from a variety of different countries, they accurately identify the trends, characteristics and drivers which have acted as a catalyst for the increasing internationalization of knowledge-intensive services, as well as the obstacles which can hinder this process. Adopting a truly global perspective, this significant new volume will be of considerable interest to students, scholars and policymakers in the fields of international business, innovation and management.

There is a long-standing tradition of research that highlights the importance of differences in the organizational and technological capabilities of firms and their effect on economic performance. This book expands on this theme by exploring the role of knowledge and innovation in firm strategy and industrial change. Underlying the volume is the belief that firms have distinctive methods of operation and that these processes have a strong element of continuity. The authors examine the role played by firms in developing, linking and utilizing the knowledge produced in many different social institutions in order to advance their organizational and technological skills. They demonstrate how understanding the manner in which firms enhance their capabilities is essential for recognizing how the economy operates and changes as a whole. To help illuminate the crucial role of knowledge and innovation, the authors use international data and insightful case studies of firms from throughout the world. These include biotechnology in Portugal, oil in Scotland, telephone/internet banking in France and Sweden, and fuel cell development in the US and Europe. This broad-ranging book will be of immense worth to scholars and students in the fields of innovation, R&D management, technology management, organization studies and industrial innovation.

This book focuses on the development of Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) and the associated market characteristics and organisational forms. It brings together reputed scholars from a mix of disciplines to explore the nature and evolution of a range of Knowledge Intensive Business Services. Through an examination of KIBS sectors such as computer services, management consultancy and R&D services, the contributions in this book argue that the evolution of KIBS is strongly associated with new inter-organizational forms and that different country institutions shape the characteristics of these organisational forms. The book provides a strong contribution to theory and empirical evidence on fast-growing KIBS and their implications for innovation. The book will be of interest to final year undergraduates and postgraduate students and scholars in the field of innovation studies, organisation studies and comparative business systems, across Europe.

Technological change is central in explaining industrial leadership, but the relationships and interactions between scientific research, industrial innovation, and competitiveness are neither clear nor straightforward. Public research funding and business strategy dictate to a significant extent the manner in, and extent to which innovation occurs within the economy. This book analyses the role of technological change in the competitiveness of firms and national economies. This includes an examination of: * the roles of R&D spending, and the organisational and technological capabilities of firms in the encouragement of innovation; * the way institutions in various nations differ in the way in which they encourage - or discourage - innovation; and the way in which different industrial sectors provide - or fail to provide - incentives to innovate; and * the ways in which trade, the operation of multinationals and international trade negotiations influence national production and innovation systems . The book combines insights of innovation scholars with those from business history, sociology and economics, in exploring the relation between organizational structures and the process of innovation. It places the analysis of innovation within an international perspective and gives historical and current examples of the interaction between organisational and technological capabilities, industrial and innovation policies and economic performance. Examples are drawn from a range of sectors (services, pharmaceuticals, construction, chemicals) and a range of countries (including the UK and other European countries, the USA, East Asia and Latin America).

Technological change is key in explaining industrial leadership, but the relationships and interactions between scientific research, industrial innovation, and competitiveness are neither clear nor straightforward. This book analyses the role of technological change in the competitiveness of firms and national economies.