Title: Which innovation strategy do internationalised firms follow?: evidence from Spain

Authors: Dolores Añón Higón

Addresses: ERI-CES, Universidad de Valencia, Avda. de los Naranjos, 46022 Valencia, Spain

Abstract: This paper compares the innovation strategy of internationalised firms, foreign-owned subsidiaries and domestic exporters, relative to firms that serve the domestic market only. The analysis is performed on a sample of manufacturing Spanish firms over the period 2006-2011. We not only focus on different forms of innovation, distinguishing between imitation and pioneer innovation, but also on the heterogeneity of exporters and foreign-owned firms. We find that foreign-owned firms and domestic exporters (excluding those serving only the EU market) are more likely to introduce market novelties ahead of competitors in low-tech sectors and, to a lesser extent, imitate more than local firms. However, domestic exporters and foreign-owned firms in Spain are not more innovative (neither in terms of original nor imitative products) than local firms in high-tech sectors.

Keywords: foreign-owned subsidiaries; exporting; local firms; Spain; innovation strategy; internationalisation; domestic exporters; manufacturing industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMCS.2016.081128

International Journal of Multinational Corporation Strategy, 2016 Vol.1 No.3/4, pp.313 - 336

Received: 20 Sep 2016
Accepted: 17 Oct 2016

Published online: 23 Dec 2016 *

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