Managing international high technology cooperative projects

Abstract

AbstractThe recent attention given to Strategic Alliances and Technological Partnering, in a variety of commercial and governmental contexts, has grown much faster than our detailed understanding of how such arrangements work. For some time, however, military agencies in the NATO countries have been involved in a number of high‐technology cooperative projects, resulting in the co‐development of new weapon systems. This paper examines fourteen such case studies (six that were relatively successful and eight that were less successful) and attempts to draw lessons from the experiences of these projects.Among the lessons which are strongly represented in this set of projects are: the importance of insulating the projects from the vagaries of international politics, the need to provide strong project leadership and a forum for partners to work out their differences, and the bestowal of significant authority in the hands of the project manager.