Publication details
Australian and New Zealand innovation in Europe: motives and knowledge flows
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2016 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Australian and New Zealand innovation in Europe: motives and knowledge flows |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | International Innovation Motives Knowledge Flows |
| Description | We study international innovation strategies of Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) firms in the European context, focussing on their investment motives and related knowledge flows. Our analysis of seven case studies from various industries suggests that the ANZ investors’ motives for innovation in Europe are often both market- and knowledge-seeking and that they can also be motivated by diversification and cooperation. While the strategic intent is often for the knowledge to flow in both/multiple directions among subsidiaries and headquarters (HQ), distance creates some challenges to the efficiency of the process. European subsidiaries often play or are seen as potentially playing a key role in the firms’ global innovation systems, notably when it comes to radically new and disruptive innovation. However, HQ doesn’t always recognise this potential because of distance and communication bottlenecks (e.g. time zone differences). The unrealised potential for tapping European subsidiaries’ capabilities for radical innovation requires top managers’ attention and initiatives such as trust building and cross-learning. |