CATCHING UP OR FALLING BEHIND - PATTERNS IN INTERNATIONAL INTERFIRM TECHNOLOGY PARTNERING

The central issue in this paper is to what extent diverging internatio nal patterns in the distribution of technological capabilities are als o found in interfirm technology cooperation. To answer this question a ttention will be paid to two, largely different forms of interfirm tec hnology partnering. One is the phenomenon of strategic technology part nering, the other covers interfirm technology transfer agreements. Oth er mechanisms for international technology transfer that we discuss pu t the central subject of the present contribution in a wider context. The analysis enables us to address the possible limits of catching up through technology partnering and the major differences between the de veloped economies, newly industrialized countries (NICs) and less-deve loped countries (LDCs). A major conclusion is that interfirm partnerin g so far has not led to a catching up of LDCs and most of the NICs, as it is much more part of a process of concentration of technological c ompetencies within the developed economies.