European Collaboration in Research and Development: Business Strategy and Public Policy.

European Collaboration in Research and Development: Business Strategy and Public Policy; Yannis Caloghirou, Nicholas S. Vonortas and Stavros Ioannides (Eds.); Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK-Northampton, MA: 2004; 329pp., $115.00.

The 13 contributors to this volume address European R&D collaborations

on two complementary levels: 1) they focus on collaboration determinants, performance and impact through a survey of more than 500 companies in seven European countries and case studies on several research joint ventures; 2) they examine public policy in support of R&D cooperation in various European countries and emphasize similarities and differences. Following a general introduction, Chapter 2 examines the theory of research joint ventures as it appears in the economics and business management literature. Chapter 3 recounts the main trends of European RJVs on the basis of the European Union and Eureka RJV databases. Chapter 4 utilizes the responses of more than 500 companies in seven EU member countries to illustrate the strategic considerations of European firms when forming RJVs and the expected tangible and intangible returns from this activity. Chapter 5 focuses on the qualitative evidence from the case studies of more than 20 RJVs, exploring the factors that enable or constrain the formation and evolution of R&D cooperation, the effects of cooperation and the role of subsidies. Chapter 6 summarizes the results of empirical work undertaken by consortium partners on the determinants of RJV formation, RJV performance, and on the impact of RJVs on industries and regional economies.

The next seven chapters deal with the policies toward R&D cooperation of individual countries and one region. Three kinds of policy are discussed: science and technology policy, competition policy and intellectual property protection. Chapters 7-12, then, appraise the relevant policies of the EU, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and the United States. Chapter 13 traces the common policy threads across countries.

Finally, the book concludes by delineating the main policy lessons for Europe and by pointing out important avenues for future work. It observes that the policy implications are particularly relevant at this time, "when European science and technology policy is embarking upon two important and interrelated undertakings: the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, and the creation of a European Research Area."