Presentation
Following successful previous ENEF meetings organized in Sheffield, Rotterdam, Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Cambridge, Paris, Amsterdam, Strasbourg and Bologna, we are pleased to announce the 10th ENEF meeting to be held in Madrid at the Spanish National Research Council jointly organised by the Institute for Economics, Geography and Demography and the Institute of Public Goods and Policies.
Proposals for paper presentations on the economics of the firm in general and especially on this year’s theme knowledge, technology sourcing and the firm are invited. Researchers and especially PhD students who wish to attend without a paper are also welcome.
The acquisition of new technologies has become a crucial factor for firms’ competitiveness. However, in today’s fast-paced, knowledge-intensive environment, innovation is rarely the outcome of firms own internal R&D efforts.
Firms may develop innovations internally (make), purchase R&D services (buy) or engage in hybrid forms, such as R&D subcontracting or cooperation with independent firms or institutions. In today’s fast-paced, knowledge-intensive environment, innovation is rarely the sole outcome of firms own internal R&D efforts. Innovation is increasingly the outcome of interactions among multiple actors and both R&D outsourcing as well as R&D cooperation have become significant features in current innovation management as ways to develop and gain access to new technologies.
At the same time, the technology necessary for global competitiveness is often dispersed internationally. In this context, international R&D networks can provide firms with access to country-specific advantages and allow them to tap into the comparative advantages of foreign countries. While technology transfer is now recognized among economists and policymakers as key for economic growth, there is still relatively little knowledge at the firm level on the patterns of technology sourcing and the mechanisms underlying technology transfer. Technology sourcing from sources external to the firm and its entrepreneurial group includes a wide range of arrangements such as research contracts, acquisitions of R&D services and cooperation for innovation. These arrangements may engage partners and providers of technology located in the national and international market.
In keeping with previous ENEF workshops, we welcome submissions from all areas of the economics of the firm, also including management, organization science and political economy contributions. In particular, the workshop will address the interaction between empirical, theoretical and policy analysis within the following topics, which include (but are not limited to):
- Knowledge, technological sourcing and firm performance
- Outsourcing and offshoring of R&D services
- Cooperation for innovation, networks of innovators, open innovation
- The geographical dimension of knowledge and technology sourcing
Submission:
Submissions should be an extended abstracts (2-3 pages) to be sent to: enef.madrid@cchs.csic.es. The papers submitted are expected to be work in progress, not submitted for publication elsewhere.
Schedule:
- Long abstracts (2-3 pages) to be submitted by 31-05-2013 to: enef.madrid@cchs.csic.es
- Selection committee: Michael Dietrich and local organisers
- Notification of acceptance by 30-06-2013
- Final papers to be delivered by 31-08-2013
ENEF coordinator: Michael Dietrich, University of Sheffield
Local organisers: Ruth Rama (IEGD, CSIC), Adelheid Holl (IPP, CSIC)
For more information about the 10th ENEF Workshop, the submission process and practical details please contact enef.madrid@cchs.csic.es or m.dietrich@sheffield.ac.uk