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Trifilova, Anna (2011) Challenges of international technology collaboration: the case of Russian R&D organisations. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
In the second half of the 20th century as result of structural reforms, some countries (e.g. Russia, India, China) opened up industrial borders, introduced liberalisation policy, and followed to trans-form from inaccessible to emerging economies.
In Russia, at the beginning of the 1990s, the shift from the state controlled R&D system of the Soviet Union to the market-based economy of the Russian Federation seemed to have generated enormous business opportunities for R&D organisations. Comparing with the time of the iron cur-tain, the prospects of Russian R&D organisations for building international technology collabora-tion seemed to be boundless, but only a limited number of Russian R&D organisations managed to find partners overseas.
The central aim of this study is to understand the reasons why the number of Russian R&D organi-sations establishing international technology collaboration is so small, compared to the potential. Thus the research focuses on the challenges in developing short and/or long-term international partnerships in the Russian context. In doing so, the research establishes a map of variables perti-nent to international technology collaboration, as a step in theory building.
This research project is both a quantitative and qualitative investigation comprising four phases: preliminary data collection; pilot studies; questionnaire survey and follow-up interviewing. The research starts with a questionnaire survey of Russian R&D organisations in Central, Nord-Western and Volga Federal Districts. These districts were chosen for their highest level of innovation activi-ty compared to other parts of the country with the aim of collecting initial data and selecting the research sample. Having selected the sample, pilot interviews were conducted. Next, mixed quanti-tative and qualitative research strategy was employed.
The research findings suggest that in building international technology cooperation Russian R&D organisations encounter different challenges in such areas as:
- collaborative history; goal compatibility; coordination; and business experience with custom-er-supplier partnerships;
- intellectual property rights; patterns of payoffs; further development of technology; expected costs; mutual trust; and business experience with strategic alliance partnerships.
The study reveals a broad range of managerial information and empirical data on building interna-tional technology collaboration with contemporary Russian R&D organisations. First, the investi-gation provides evidence that Russian R&D organisations have overcome 'the transition from the command to the market economy and are gradually adjusting to the new environment. Second, the study gains insight into the motives for international technology partnership with Russian R&D organisations. Third, it examines the differences in building short- and long-term cooperation with Russian R&D establishments. Forth, the research highlights challenges Russian R&D organisations experience in international technology cooperation. Fifth, it calls for different emphasis on building customer-supplier or strategic alliance technology collaboration with Russians. Sixth, it proposes a tentative theory on challenges to customer-supplier and strategic alliance modes of international technology collaboration based on the case of Russian R&D organisations.
The study offers a contribution to both academic scholarship and policy making. From an academic perspective, it calls attention to the need to develop a theory on international technology collabora-tion with emergent market economies. From a policy perspective, the study reveals a broad range of managerial information and empirical data on technology partnerships with contemporary Rus-sian R&D organisations. Filling the knowledge gaps in the unique setting of Russia, the research provides theoretical and practical guidance for other similar countries.
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