Agrifood cluster and transfer of technology in the Spanish vegetables exporting sector: the role of multinational enterprises

Abstract

Several studies have analyzed the spread of technology by the multinational enterprises. The conclusions obtained are unsettling. Multinationals benefit more from the local branches in terms of knowledge than what they contribute. In the agro-industrial business cluster, multinationals are present as supply companies (e.g. seeds and machinery). However, they also play an important role because, in most cases, they constitute the company demand (retail distribution chain). In this context, this study intends to verify whether multinationals, by means of these two forms of interaction, encourage the use of generic technology, acting as a vector (carrier) that transfers (diffuses) technology throughout their branch networks. In this sense, we analyze the role of multinational companies within the cluster comprised of production and marketing companies, as well as the auxiliary industry for agriculture in the Almeria province (Spain).