Country's Competitive Advantage Research Articles

Marketing of BRICS innovation clusters in the context of geopolitical instability

The modern stage of society development is characterized by an increased attention to the issues of formation and development of national innovation systems (NIS), which would ensure the integration of various elements of the innovation process, thereby contributing to the build-up of the country's competitive advantages in the global market. Independent development of countries in modern economic conditions is not possible due to the complexity and turbulence of the external economic circuit. In the new geopolitical realities, the fact that past globalization paradigms are no longer having an impact on the viability of the NIS of many countries is becoming evident. At the same time, due to the changing geopolitical landscape, the role of international associations, such as BRICS, is being significantly transformed and they are becoming new centers of influence, including in matters of scientific and technological cooperation. One of the priority conditions for the effective functioning of international S&T cooperation networks and the NIS of each individual country is the creation and maintenance of innovation infrastructure. Already functioning innovation clusters with technology parks, business incubators, accelerators, etc. can become such an infrastructure. Cluster structures are the most effective form of development of international scientific and technological cooperation, which allows to fully realize the potential of countries and structures involved in the interaction, as well as to obtain a significant synergistic and multiplicative effect. The issues of marketing support of innovative cluster associations, which contribute to the successful promotion of clusters in the professional community and target markets, are of particular relevance in this issue.

Important aspects of foreign experience in the functioning of cluster formations

Ukraine's economic recovery requires the development of agricultural production on an intensive innovative basis, which will ensure food security of the country, guaranteeing everyone the opportunity to eat a balanced diet with quality and safe food, as well as realize the country's competitive advantages in world food markets. In modern conditions, the country has not yet developed a mechanism for systemic innovation development. A comprehensive solution to the problem of innovative development of the agro-industrial complex is the formation of cluster policy at both the state and regional levels. It is the unification of enterprises and organizations in the cluster of the system that best contributes to the growth of business activity of business structures and overcoming the above-mentioned negative factors that hinder the development of the Ukrainian economy. Coordination of actions and joint efforts of state bodies, educational and scientific organizations, small, medium and large businesses is the key to success, strengthening the competitiveness of the economy, improving the living standards of the population of Ukraine in conditions of fierce competition in the international division of labor. World experience of integration processes shows that integrated enterprises are more efficient and adapted to market economy conditions due to the creation of a single process of manufacturing and promotion of products from its producers to end users, which significantly reduces costs and increases profitability of integrated enterprises, increases volume and quality products, creates unique competitive advantages and increases the market share of sold products. Foreign experience indicates the formation and provision of sustainable competitiveness in the long run of those agricultural enterprises that have merged into clusters. Keywords: cluster, competitiveness, economic development, regional policy

Financial Mechanisms in International Production Cooperation

The analysis of modern foreign experience shows that the leading global manufacturers of high-tech goods do not seek to produce final products only on their own, but prefer production cooperation - placing production orders on the side, investing in logistics, creating global cooperation chains, etc. The development of International Production Cooperation (IPC) is an opportunity to strengthen the country's competitive advantages, regions, and individual enterprises, to expand their presence in the world markets. At the moment, individual methods and tools of financial support and stimulation of the IPC are weakly interconnected and not formed as part of a single financial mechanism. In this regard, such study as an essential component of the modern model of economic development is of particular relevance. The purpose of this article is to consider financial mechanisms in international production cooperation. The research methods are the analysis of modern sources, publications, and the formation of general questions on this topic.

Погляди Івана Вернадського на роль зовнішньоторговельної політики в економічному розвитку

Nowadays, the process of making effective economic decisions requires reference to the history of Ukrainian economic thought. The study of intellectual heritage and innovative ideas of prominent Ukrainian economists, among whom Ivan Vernadsky occupies an important place, will enrich the understanding of the mechanisms and ways of modern economic transformation. The purpose of the article is to analyze and generalize Ivan Vernadsky’s conceptual views on the role of foreign trade policy in economic development. The theoretical basis of this study is conceptual approaches to understanding the nature of foreign trade policy, in particular, protectionism and free trade. Systematic, comparative-historical, institutional-evolutionary, and historical-genetic analyses were used as the research methodology. The author considers Ivan Vernadsky’s conceptual approach to foreign trade as a basis for providing the country's economic leadership in the international area. The economist’s ideas on the advantages of liberal foreign trade policy, free trade, and its mutual benefits for countries are revealed. Ivan Vernadsky was a staunch opponent of restrictive foreign trade policy, which creates obstacles to the country's competitive advantages and economic progress. Attention was paid to Ivan Vernadsky's criticism of customs protectionism. According to the scientist's point of view, protectionism leads to monopolization, price rises, technical and technological backwardness of production, destabilization of foreign trade relations, etc. At the same time, one of the scientist’s merits is the formation of an innovative approach to the interpretation of protectionism as a general economic doctrine and a realistic economic policy. Ivan Vernadsky’s vision of the basics of efficient management is generalized. He creates an original theory of economic development, which can be used for selection of effective mechanisms of modern economic policy.

SYSTEM OF REGULATORY INSTRUMENTS TO PROMOTE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER TO THE NATIONAL ECONOMY BASED ON INTERACTIVE MODEL

Topicality. In modern conditions, science and technology play a decisive role in the effective development of the economies of advanced countries. At the same time, in Ukraine during the years of independence science has lost its influence on socio-economic development due to the lack of an effective system for converting research results into concrete economic achievements, and the state's inability to create the necessary conditions and incentives for knowledge transfer from scientific sphere to production. In contrast to the domestic practice of regulation, which is based on the linear model of innovation process (or "technology push" model), when innovation is understood as a process that begins with a new scientific research, progresses sequentially through the stages of development, production and successful sale of new products, processes and services in the market, in modern knowledge economy dominates an interactive model of innovation. According to this model innovations arise from the interaction between producers and consumers who share both codified and implicit knowledge, and knowledge transfer is considered as a complex, systematic process that involves interaction between different participants in the innovation process and involves the exchange and joint creation of knowledge. Aim and tasks. The aim of the article is to form the proposition for the application of the system of regulatory instruments for scientific knowledge transfer to the national economy, according to the interactive model, which is based on the best practices of developed countries, namely: identification and characterization of the factors that determine the application of the system of instruments; classification of tools for regulating the transfer of scientific knowledge according to various criteria; formulation of proposals for the use of tools to stimulate the interaction of knowledge transfer stakeholders, depending on the knowledge transfer channel and the type of tool, in accordance with the linear and interactive models. Research results. The article examines the main factors that determine the use of a system of tools to regulate the transfer of scientific knowledge to the national economy on the basis of an interactive model, in particular: levels of regulation (supranational, national, regional, institutional); knowledge transfer channels (publications, protection of intellectual property rights; joint and contract research; scientific expertise; mobility of scientists; creation of spin-off companies); the latest trends in regulation (departure from linear models in favor of interactive; departure from static practices in favor of dynamic; digital transformation); diversification of regulatory tools (depending on the country's competitive advantages, research, industry). Tools for stimulating the interaction of knowledge transfer stakeholders are proposed, depending on the model of knowledge transfer and the knowledge transfer channel that corresponds to it, in particular, financial instruments - economic transfers from the state to firms, universities or research institutes, provided that they cooperate; regulatory tools - aimed at stimulating the various parties involved in the transfer of knowledge, including regulations affecting intellectual property rights, obtaining degrees by scientists, etc.; soft tools (tools for shaping the environment) - focused on facilitating relations between stakeholders, mobilization, networking, integration, building trust. Conclusion. The promotion of scientific knowledge transfer activities in Ukraine should be done through the implementation of an interactive regulatory model, which is to introduce a system of instruments to create a favorable environment for the exchange and joint creation of knowledge through financial, regulatory incentives for knowledge transfer stakeholders. Taking into account interactive approaches to knowledge transfer will contribute to the development of modern knowledge economy in Ukraine, and will speed up its integration into the global economic space on an innovative basis.

FEATURES OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE MARKET ENVIRONMENT ON THE INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES

Introduction. Research and analysis of the theoretical foundations allowed to determine the relationship between scientific and technological progress, innovation processes in the economy. The dominant role in economic development is played by scientific and technological progress, the core of which is innovation. The variety of types, forms and definitions of innovations necessitates the study of the essence of innovative development of agricultural enterprises, their main features and role in a market economy.The hypothesis of the research is to substantiate the recommendations and proposals for improving the efficiency of innovation of agricultural enterprises as a priority sector, taking into account the European integration vector of the state.The purpose of the study is to substantiate the peculiarities of the influence of the market environment on the innovative development of agricultural enterprises.The methodology of scientific research is general and special research methods: dialectical – for analysis and understanding of the essence and content of the categorical series "innovation", "innovation process", monographic – in highlighting the views of scientists on the research issues; strategic analysis – to determine the priority areas for intensifying the innovative development of agricultural enterprises.Conclusions and prospects for further research. Based on the concept of growth cycles, it can be concluded that in a market environment, the organization of innovation is associated with the division and cooperation of labor, providing the necessary resources, selection and implementation of procedures for effective implementation of the innovation cycle. Therefore, the peculiarities of the influence of the market environment on the innovative development of agricultural enterprises, in our opinion, should be considered in terms of innovation systems. Factors that create a favorable market environment that allows the surveyed enterprises to be able to make significant upgrades, determine the four attributes of the country: the conditions for the factors; state of demand; related and supporting industries; stable strategy and structure. They each and all together form the basis of the country's competitive advantages, the space that each state creates and maintains for its industries.

Commercialization of intellectual property: innovative impact on global competitiveness of national economies

This paper investigates the role of intellectual property in the modern post-industrial economy and its intensive commercialization of the country's competitive advantages in the global economic environment. The main purpose of the research is to prove the hypothesis about the crucial role of intellectual property development in ensuring expanded public reproduction and facilitating the global competitiveness of national economies through innovative modernization of production. To gain the research aim, the authors used a combination of theoretical synthesis and comprehensive statistical analysis. The study follows a deductive approach and theoretical background analysis followed by quantitative research of statistical data. It allowed arriving essential conclusions concerning the role of intellectual property in strengthening the global competitiveness of the national economy and practical policy implications regarding stimulating intellectual property commercialization within the national economy. Paper investigates transmission mechanisms that represent the impact of intensive commercialization of intellectual property on public reproduction and competitiveness of the national economy. Commercialization of intellectual property, defined as a range of activities envisaged for rapid implementation of intellectual activity, resulted in economic turnover to obtain strategic competitive advantages and generate economic profit supported by the transformation of intellectual property into intellectual capital used for the manufacturing of innovative, highly marginal products. Comprehensive statistical data analysis was conducted using quantitative methods (cluster analysis and principal components analysis). The findings proved the key role of intellectual property in the modern system of public reproduction. They demonstrated the multiplicative impact of intellectual property development on a country's competitive global economic environment. Obtained research results provided the basis for policy implications concerning the development of commercialization of intellectual property and stimulation of expanded reproduction of intellectual capital in Ukraine as a precondition of innovative modernization of national industries and acquiring strategic competitive advantages in a globalized market.

Impact of Monetary Policy on the Level of Economic Inequality in the United States

Abstract: After the reform of the world monetary system in 1971, the competition between countries for the global market is taking place in completely new conditions. Monetary and fiscal authorities have accumulated vast experience in regulating the economy and strengthening country competitive advantages through complex mechanisms of quantitative easing, foreign exchange rates manipulation, increasing debts, etc. Overcoming the consequences of the financial crises of the 21st century every time forces monetary regulators to implement increasingly radical measures in order to save the economy by injecting enormous amounts of liquidity into the market to buy out bad corporate debts as well as government debt securities. At the same time, the questions of how monetary policy affects the level of economic inequality and who is its beneficiary are becoming more relevant.The article seeks to analyze the impact of changes in monetary policy parameters on wealth inequality in the United States. Given the cyclical nature of economic inequality, the main method of research was chosen as a graphical statistical analysis, since it allows to identify trends effectively and keep in focus more than 100-year picture of changes in the analyzed indicators. For a more holistic picture, the dynamics of economic wealth inequality level were compared not only with key indicators of monetary policy, but also with the dynamics of marginal tax rates in US.One conclusion of the research is that wealth inequality depends more on fiscal adjustment and marginal tax rates than on monetary factors. Inadequate marginal income and inheritance tax rates are factors of rising of wealth inequality in US. Changing of monetary system settings also influences on the level of wealth inequality, because it affects the valuation of financial assets, and therefore the wealth of the richest people in US. Another important conclusion is the idea that the new monetary policy, despite all fears that it is a source of growing economic inequality, is acceptable with marginal income and inheritance tax rates of about 60% and with effective macroprudential regulation of US economy.

INNOVATION INFLUENCE ON EXPORT ACTIVITIES: ЕMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF RUSSIAN COMPANIES

The article gives an overview on existing the incentives and barriers of innovation activity that the company forces with when it enters foreign markets. The main incentives are: communication with suppliers, foreign partners, and customers; economies of scale; financing; the nature of the demand and the external economic conditions. Barriers are: competition; risks and costs associated with entering foreign markets; lack of financing and information, qualified personnel, government support; long payback period; technological lag and instability of the economic environment. Сountry analysis showed that the government is more profitable when it develops its own innovations rather than imports them. In countries with developed innovative strategy (Great Britain, Germany, USA, France, Japan, and Republic of Korea), the share of innovative industries in gross output and in export volume is significantly higher than in countries with a development model. These countries have created an innovative culture in which all participants interact in the process of increasing the country's competitive advantage. According to an econometric analysis conducted in the study, it was concluded that the Russian export indicator depends on the internal scientific developments, the costs for implementing high-tech innovations and the number of registered patents, and in 2020 these indicators will develop with the same trend.

РАЗВИТИЕ РОССИЙСКОГО СЕГМЕНТА АРКТИЧЕСКОЙ ЗОНЫ КАК РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ ИЗМЕРЕНИЕ МИРОВОЙ ГЕОПОЛИТИКИ

The article discusses the features of the Arctic zone, its place in the world economy and international relations. The reasons for the intersection of the geopolitical interests of the leading states of the world in this region are revealed. The main directions of scientific and technical cooperation in the development of the Arctic are identified. The role of the Arctic Council in solving the problem of coordinating the interests of various actors in the region is shown. The strategic necessity of the development of the Arctic as a region free of conflicts and rivalry is substantiated. The analysis of the Russian Arctic policy and mechanisms for its implementation. The author substantiates the conclusion that the development of the Russian Arctic zone can become a driving force for the qualitative growth of the national economy, the formation of the country's competitive advantages in the long term, as well as maintaining the global ecological balance and stability.

ЧИННИКИ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ МІЖНАРОДНОЇ КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНОСТІ УКРАЇНСЬКИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ МАЛОГО І СЕРЕДНЬОГО БІЗНЕСУ

Improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, as an opportunity to realize the country's competitive advantages in foreign markets, has always been one of the strategic tasks of any state. However, without solving a certain number of problems, it is simply impossible. Ukraine occupies a significant place in the global economy in terms of its resource potential and human resources. Unfortunately, the standard of living of the population, which is determined by the unstable political situation and economic stagnation, does not reach the level at which it should have been, given the resources that our country has. Therefore, the consideration of such an urgent problem of increasing the world rating of Ukraine is considered very relevant, especially for developing a country development strategy that takes into account existing problems and contradictions and ways to overcome them. To date, the optimal competitive model for small and medium-sized businesses has not yet been developed. It is obvious that economic and social progress, resilience and competitiveness are developing in parallel and have a significant impact on each other. Competitiveness should be based on a broad vision of the economy and society. The possibilities of increasing the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in Ukraine on the basis of the model of sustainable development remain insufficiently studied in Ukraine.In the context of the competitiveness crisis, the benefits are primarily obtained not by improving the quality of products, but by cutting costs, which allows reducing the price of products. The article discusses the theoretical principles of competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.Based on quantitative and qualitative indicators, the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises of Ukraine is analyzed. The article also considers the competitiveness rating of Ukraine in comparison with other countries of the world, identifies the strengths of competitiveness and the greatest obstacles to doing business in the country.

Oil and gas trade between China and countries and regions along the ‘Belt and Road’: A panoramic perspective

A stable and secure oil supply is essential to achieve sustainable development in China. The country mostly imports oil and gas from countries along the ‘Belt and Road’, which are major destination countries for the export of Chinese-manufactured products. Strengthening trade with these countries is essential to not only secure China's oil and gas supply but also promote development in the area. Based on the global commodity chain and value chain concepts, this paper analyses the status and prospects of the oil and gas trade between countries, considering all trade relations, which avoids the one-sidedness of oil and gas trade analysis based on the demand–supply relationship. We find that the general trade relationship between China and the countries along the Belt and Road is closely related to their oil and gas trade. Oil and gas resources are the main commodities exported to China by countries and regions having close trade relationships with it. Chinese policies should thus focus on developing the oil and gas trade with central Asia and Mongolia and improving the country's competitive advantage in traditional manufacturing exports, which, in turn, can enhance its position in international oil and gas trade.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ГАСТРОНОМІЧНОГО БРЕНДИНГУ УКРАЇНИ

Goal. The main purpose of this article is to determine the directions of formation of the gastronomic brand of individual regions of Ukraine and the country as a whole is the main purpose of this article. The object of the study is gastronomic branding of the territory of Ukraine, and the subject is methodological approaches to determining the gastronomic brand of the territory and the analysis of factors of its formation. Methodology. Works on a regional marketing, tourism management, as well as scientific publications on gastronomic tourism and tourist branding of the territory is methodological basis of the research. A systematic approach is used, which is the basis of geographical and tourism scientific studies, as well as methods of analysis, synthesis, descriptive and comparative geographical. Results. Determining the features of gastronomic tourism and the main factors that influence the formation of the gastronomic brand and the image of the territory are the results of the study presented in this publication. It is found that the most commonly used is the term "gastronomic tourism", proposed by the World Association of Gastronomic Tourism in 2012, which is considered to be a type of travel in order to get an authentic experience based on the culture of consumption of food or drinks, acquaintance with their unique places and culture through national cuisine. The gastronomic brand is to promote the territory as a manufacturer or exporter of unique high quality food products. Branding is an important element in the development of a country. Brand is defined as the competitive identity of a particular locality (place or region or country as a whole). The main components of the gastronomic brand: well-developed gastronomy and availability of specialists in the field of organizing food establishments using traditional products and availability of authentic food (authentic products) and gastronomic events as well as festivals, competitions. Gastronomic image is a stable representation of the population of the country and partners about the prestige, the quality of services in the sphere of services and food, the quality of life of the population and the culture of consumption of products. The factors of formation of the general image of the country and the image of individual regions are different. The image of the region is a more dynamic characteristic of the activity a local territory. It form in society over a long time and based on personal beliefs of the people. It is a result of prevalence of diverse information about the region, living conditions, work and recreation. Forming a positive image of Ukraine by promoting gastronomic tourism will increase the country's competitive advantages in the tourism industry at the global level. Scientific novelty of the research is the definition of the gastronomic brand of the territory, its main components and the discovery of methodological approaches to geobranding of the territories. Practical significance. Pleasure the tourist needs by diversifying the tourist offer and creating new tourism products, including gastronomic brands and tours, determines the applied value of the study. Expanding the range of tourist offers at the expense of gastronomic attractions will provide a strong development of both individual regions and the country as a whole.

International Market Selection Model Using Newly Developed Geometric International Market Selection Space

International Market Selection (IMS) is literally a process in identifying and selecting feasible international market opportunities for exporting. It is a methodological process whereby suitable variables are vetted through a model in order to produce output in the form of processed information that would help export marketers in decision-making. The new IMS model, introduced as Geometric International Market Selection Space (GIMSS), rooted from the Trade Intensity Index (TI) Index and Geometric Trade Intensity Space Box (GTISB) is proposed as a complimentary tool to be used by international marketers. The constructed GIMSS model utilises both trade elements (exports and imports) with no filtering and weighting processes, employs changes within changes measurement, embeds quality perspective measurement as alternative game changer in identifying International Export Opportunities (IEO), and able to do future projection of IEO. In addition, even though this GIMSS model does not have weighting scheme, it can still perform trade-off process between volume and quality elements. The GIMSS is capable of identifying and categorising the host country market potential into low, intermediate or high market potential at product level. With that policy maker would be able to employ this information conjointly with competitive index of exporting country and make assessment in the perspective of cross checking between host country market potential levels with exporting country competitive advantage status.

COLOMBIAN BIODIVERSITY, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL AND COSMETIC INDUSTRIES

Colombia, a country privileged by nature, where diversity of climates are created by large altitude gradients which generate a variety of ecosystems and beautiful badlands, punas, mountain forests, dry valleys, high deserts and salt flats; landscapes that have diversity of plants and animals and we are cata- loged as one of the countries as the greatest diversity in the world, preceded by Brazil and followed by Indonesia, China and Mexico. We have 28.000 plants and lichens; it is an invaluable heritage that can give to our country competitive advantages in the discovery and development of active ingredients for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry by sustainable use of our biodiversity.

R&D Investment and Competitiveness in the Baltic States

The article is aimed at the analysis on how R&D investment should influence the competitiveness among the firms in the Baltic States and what the main obstacles for R&D investment are. Most theories emphasize the importance of R&D investment in the creation and development of country's competitive advantage. Each country has its own unique characteristics, with different resources and opportunities to use them for the increase of competitiveness. The use of resources for R&D investment is much more efficient together with a proper identification of industry sectors and formation of priorities for R&D investment. The research has revealed that the economies of the Baltic States basically cover low technology industries where innovations are continual and based on market demand whereas the largest share of R&D funding consists of the state budget funds, allocating comparatively the largest part of the funds in the sector of higher education. Rather different correlations between the same economic indicators or indexes reveal that the indicators determined by R&D investment compose only an insignificant share in the scale of the sources of economic growth.

The Logic of Interoperability

INTRODUCTIONSince 1918, Australia has joined the United States in every one of its major conflicts: World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Australia's enduring commitment to the alliance has led to a renewed focus on joint operations. The new maxim within Australian defence circles is Interoperability with the US military has become the keystone phrase for many issues relating to Australia's procurement, strategy, and doctrine. Yet the other phrase used equally as often is self-reliance. Australian strategic planners simultaneously view the US as an indispensable and unreliable ally. Although Australia has always been at America's side, Australia was disappointed by the unenthusiastic response of the US to the 1999 East Timor crisis. As such, the underlining logic of is to hedge between dependence and self-reliance.Firmly resting among these mixed strategic motives is the F-35 J°int Strike Fighter program. The Australian government's decision to acquire up to 100 F-35 fighters is not only the most expensive and complicated military purchase in Australia's history but is also Australia's biggest step yet toward interoperability. Historically, the US has been Australia's country of choice when searching for military equipment. Indeed, barring one exception, since i960, every fighter purchased for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has been of American origin.1 Yet the F-35 is the first Australian defence purchase with the explicitly stated intention of improving with the US.Although within Australian Defence Force (ADF) circles, the concept of has primarily come to be associated with the level of analysis, there is a competing view of interoperability. This second definition concentrates on integration. It is based on the aim to mesh the worldviews, objectives, and national interests of close allies. In turn, politico-strategic interoperability aims to promote a greater division of labour between the nations in regard to procurement, training, and deployment. While operational interoperability implies a nation's preparedness to respond to a broad spectrum of contingencies, politico-strategic interoperability results in a narrowing of the spectrum of contingencies that a nation prepares to respond to, with the knowledge that the nation's partner is prepared to respond to the remaining contingencies.This article holds that a more effective US-Australian alliance should attempt to shift the logic of from the to the level. Taking the F-35 as an example, I argue that Australia would never be fully self-reliant in a confrontation with a major regional power. Furthermore, Australia's contribution of airpower to an American-led coalition involved in a major regional conflict would be, at best, token and strategically inconsequential. Hence, instead of pursuing high-end capabilities, such as the JSF, Australia should dedicate itself to preparing for low- and mid-range conflicts. This focus would ease the US burden of regional peacekeeping, internal security assistance, and stabilization operations in the Asia-Pacific region. In exchange, Australia would invite a greater American presence that might include naval and air assets. This approach would exploit each country's competitive advantages and be the best means of advancing the alliance-partnership into the 21st century. For this to occur, however, the US would have to take dramatic steps toward allaying Australia's historically ingrained fears of abandonment.In this article I discuss the logic of as expressed by Australia's decision to acquire the F-35 JSF. In the first section I provide a historical overview of Australian strategic thinking, and how this thinking has led to the integration of as a keystone concept. …

Internationalization of Construction-Related Consultants: Impact of Age and Size

AbstractStudies on internationalization of the services sector are lacking. This is true for construction-related consultants (CRC). Studies on the impact of firm age and firm size on internationalization are even more lacking. A study on the internationalization of Malaysian CRCs (covering the civil engineering, cost engineering, and architecture disciplines) was conducted, with specific focus on five dimensions: motives for internationalization, modes of securing overseas projects, firm-specific competitive advantages, home country competitive advantages, and locational factors. Data were collected using the mixed methods of a postal questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. Data between firms of different ages and sizes were compared. Firms of dissimilar sizes were in disagreement over a few firm-specific competitive advantages, whereas firms of dissimilar ages did not concur over several home country competitive advantages and locational factors. Small firms should form partnerships to overcome t...

Assessing competitive advantage of emerging markets in knowledge intensive business services

PurposeThe dramatic growth and international scope of knowledge‐intensive business services (KIBS) are evident in emerging markets such as China and India. Nations, like firms, seek to capitalize on their available resources and capabilities (e.g. people, technology, skills) in order to build and maintain core competencies in certain industry sectors. This paper has the following objectives: to discuss the classification of KIBS, to marshal conceptual and statistical evidence on KIBS in major emerging markets, to compare and contrast selected major emerging markets in regard to their KIBS activities, and to discuss policy implications.Design/methodology/approachIn this conceptual paper, extant literature is reviewed and discussed pertaining to the KIBS sectors. Several existing data sources are used to assess the comparative performance of major emerging markets in the KIBS sectors.FindingsThe emphasis is on finding comparative longitudinal statistics that are useful for comparison and contrast among major emerging markets. The analysis indicates that while the major emerging markets are building competitive advantage by focusing on knowledge‐intensive business services, their progress differs sharply. For example, China shows the lead, followed by India, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Turkey, and Indonesia. Smaller nations lag behind these in most indicators. It is evident that leading major emerging nations have not reached parity with highly industrialized countries.Research limitations/implicationsThe results show ranking and contribution of various major nations in the global knowledge economy, but additional time series and analysis are needed to assess comparative rankings. However, the classification and the indicators illustrated here offer a panoramic, comparative picture over the past decade. Using international business theories, research can develop statistical models to explain foreign market entry strategies of knowledge‐intensive service firms.Practical implicationsThe paper is of value to managers considering entry and/or expansion into major emerging markets in various sub‐sectors of knowledge‐intensive sectors. The specific industry and function pursued by a firm need to be identified and matched up with host nation characteristics (e.g. more software design and pharmaceutical research in India v. more manufacturing design and R&D facility in China). The paper also provides guidelines to policy makers to sustain their country's competitive advantage in the KIBS sectors.Originality/valueThe paper looks at knowledge‐intensive business services in major emerging markets. It offers both conceptual contributions and statistical evidence that key nations differ in their activities in regard to such high‐level and complex service offerings.

Human resources for science and technology: Analyzing competitiveness using the analytic hierarchy process

Technology plays a key role in a country's competitiveness. Traditional analyses of national competitiveness help to understand a country's competitive advantages, but such analyses do not focus on the advantages derived from technology applications. Equally crucial for the survival and growth of a nation's technology are human resources for science and technology (HRST). Therefore, evaluating the HRST of each nation provides key information and is an important topic for research.Our research is based on 312 items from the competitiveness index given in the 2006 The World Competitiveness Yearbook published by IMD, specifically 23 selected HRST competitiveness criteria. In conjunction with professional opinions and the analytical hierarchy process, we were able to determine HRST competitiveness factors, sub-factors, and criteria weights. We provide extensive coverage of 42 countries and regional economies. We also discuss the performance of various related indexes and provide relevant suggestions.