This major new book provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary analysis of the nature and significance of collaboration between firms and other actors involved in industrial innovation.The motivations and mechanisms for technological collaboration, the fields in which it is likely to occur, and the consequences of collaboration for the parties involved and the economy as a whole are all addressed by a distinguished group of scholars drawn from economics, sociology, management theory and political economy. Areas and issues covered include growth theory and the theory of the firm, managerial objectives across different cultures, interfirm technological linkages, networks and innovation, strategic collaboration, collaborative agreements, state intervention, strategic alliances and informal networks. Technological Collaboration emphasizes the importance of interfirm collaboration and the establishment of networks in innovation and economic growth. The issues and themes raised in this volume will be of interest to scholars from a variety of different perspectives, interested in technical change, innovation and industrial organization.

Technological Evolution, Variety and the Economy discusses the fundamental role played by qualitative change in economic development, the contribution made by technological change and innovation, and the analysis of these phenomena in terms of evolutionary theories. Pier Paolo Saviotti's major new book goes beyond studying the effects of technological change on known economic variables. In addressing the actors and mechanisms of technological change, Dr Saviotti focuses first on changes in product technology and then examines the evolution of organizations with special reference to their use of information and knowledge. Using an evolutionary framework, he develops a model of technological evolution based on replicator dynamics which explicitly introduces these key actors and mechanisms. An in-depth discussion of the present state of evolutionary theories focuses on their methodological foundations and applicability to learning in organizations. With qualitative technological change as its central theme and featuring detailed discussion of the current state of evolutionary theories, Technological Evolution, Variety and the Economy will be welcomed by economists working in innovation, technical change and industrial organization.

Technology and knowledge are two of the most important factors for maintaining a competitive advantage in today's global economy. This book examines recent trends in the analysis of knowledge and technology from an evolutionary perspective.Technology and Knowledge emphasizes the importance of knowledge in the creation of technological change and innovation. The authors examine the role of knowledge underlying innovation, and the flows of knowledge and other interactions between and within firms. Combining empirical work with simulations to solve models which are too complex to be understood analytically, the book presents a balanced and complementary approach to an area that is critically important for economic growth and international competitiveness. This book will be warmly welcomed by academics working in the fields of technological change, innovation, knowledge and industrial organization.