Strategic alliances in global biotechnology — a network approach

Abstract

Introduction Strategic alliances, as a means to acquire and co-ordinate resources for technological development, market access and manufacturing efficiency have, during the last years, captured increasing attention. Presumably driven by the globalization of markets and technological development, alliances are increasingly being used as strategic tools for corporate survival and growth, shaping the present and future structure of industries. The establishment of strategic alliances is a charactersitic shared by many industries; such as the aircraft, automobile, telecommunications and computer industries, to mention but a few. The issues are if these predominantly hidden industrial structures can be exposed and if we can identify factors determining these structures. During the last decade biotechnology has become a multinational, rapidly growing industry. The number of new entrants in the industry sky-rocketed during the early and mid-1980s. Breakthroughs like the recombinant DNA and cell fusion transformed biotechnology into a rapidly growing set of tools and applications which seemingly might change the world. Biotechnology is a generic technology and as such it bridges several industries; the agricultural, chemical, food and pharmaceutical. The early years of industrial RD if the large number of strategic alliances observed in the global biotechnology forms a specific pattern: and if we can begin to unravel the underlying logic of this pattern. More specifically, we want to test if biotechnology firms through their strategic alliances with other firms are clustered into groups of more interconnected firms and if the firms in these groups share some common characteristics. Do equals or opposites attract? Alliances in Global Biotechnology