Internationalisation of ICT R&D: a comparative analysis of Asia, the European Union, Japan, United States and the rest of the world

We analyse the internationalization of information and communications technology (ICT) research and development (R&D) in Asia and compare it with other world regions. Despite the strong linkages between Japan, the United States and the European Union, Asia seems to be very attractive as a location for R&D activities. It is also striking how the role of Japan as a partner of other Asian countries decreased mainly in favour of the United States. We find that, while being an attractive destination of foreign firms, Asia is becoming an active global player which sources R&D and technology from other regions. At the aggregate level, there are strong differences in R&D internationalization across regions. Using cluster analysis, we find two groups of countries. The first group is oriented towards exploring and acquiring technology and the second groups towards seeking and providing technology. This might indicate that each region follows a different R&D internationalization path. Alternatively, it might also be a sign of unequal capabilities of ‘going global’.