World Competences Capture by Multinationals in Environmental Technologies

Abstract

This paper analyses how important is the capture of technological competences at global level in environmental technologies and its implications for the world technology transfer. Using data from the European Patents Office (1978–2010) and a classification for eight technological fields in environmental technologies, the paper concludes that the contribution to environmental technologies by multinationals is quite significant, but still concentrated in the triad countries. Outside the triad, the innovative activity in environmental technology is quite low and still leaded by transnational corporations. Emergent countries like Brazil, China or South Africa are more characterized by to be captured than to be capturers of technological competences inside the triad. This observation can be explained by a scarce numbers of domestic multinationals, a low R&D intensity by domestic agents and a low level of R&D internationalization outwards.