20 years of innovation policy in East Germany – from a pure “survival support” to high-tech subsidy
Jutta Günther, Nicole Nulsch, Katja Wilde
Wirtschaft im Wandel,
20 Jahre Deutsche Einheit - Teil 2 -
2010
Abstract
The article uses the occasion of “20 years German re-unification” in order to provide an overview of the range of innovation policy schemes in East Germany with the intention to identify changing patterns or paradigms in its philosophy and priorities over time. In general, innovation policy schemes aim at increasing research and development (R&D) activities of companies in order to strengthen their competitiveness as market incentives for R&D are usually too low (problem of market failure). However, in East Germany in the early 1990s the situation was different. At the very beginning, the transformation process in East Germany was accompanied by innovation policy schemes that aimed at the pure maintenance of industrial research and the stock of R&D personnel since the potential for innovation was at a risk to be eliminated completely. In the late 1990s the intention of innovation policies changed. Instead of financial support primarily for human resources, innovation policy schemes since then focused on the support of cooperation projects between different research entities (companies and scientific organizations) and, later on, also the setup of networks in order to close the economic differences between East and West Germany.
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Ostdeutschlands Transformation seit 1990 im Spiegel wirtschaftlicher und sozialer Indikatoren
Ulrich Blum, Herbert S. Buscher, Hubert Gabrisch, Jutta Günther, Gerhard Heimpold, Cornelia Lang, Udo Ludwig, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld, Lutz Schneider
IWH-Sonderhefte,
No. 1,
2009
Abstract
20 Jahre nach der „friedlichen Revolution“ und dem darauffolgenden Herstellen der staatlichen Einheit Deutschlands legt das IWH erneut eine Dokumentation der gesellschaftlichen, vor allen Dingen der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung vor. Ziel ist es, anhand von Zahlen, Schaubildern und Tabellen mit entsprechenden Erklärungen die Vielschichtigkeit des Wandels der Neuen Länder aufzuzeigen. Damit fällt auch die Bewertung differenziert aus: Es gibt eine weitgehend modernisierte Infrastruktur, das erste, was an „blühende Landschaften“ erinnern mag. Einige Unternehmen und Standorte konnten sich mit großem wirtschaftlichen Erfolg die Weltmarktführerschaft in wesentlichen Technologien sichern. Aber es gibt auch einen massiven Bevölkerungsverlust, sich entleerende Gebiete. Manche Städte und erhebliche Teile des ländlichen Raums suchen eine neue Aufgabe in der nationalen und internationalen Arbeitsteilung.
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Foreign Subsidiaries in the East German Innovation System – Evidence from Manufacturing Industries
Jutta Günther, Björn Jindra, Johannes Stephan
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 4,
2008
Abstract
This paper analyses the extent of technological capability of foreign subsidiaries located in East Germany, and looks at the determinants of foreign subsidiaries’ technological sourcing behaviour. The theory of international production underlines the importance of strategic and regional level variables. However, existing empirical approaches omit by and large regional level factors. We employ survey evidence from the “FDI micro data- base” of the IWH, that was only recently made available, to conduct our analyses. We find that foreign subsidiaries are above average technologically active in comparison to the whole East German manufacturing. This can be partially explained by the industrial structure of foreign direct investment. However, only a limited share of foreign subsidiaries with R&D and/or innovation activity source technological knowledge from the East German innovation system. If a subsidiary follows a competence augmenting strategy or does local trade, it is more likely to source technological knowledge locally. The endowment of a region with human capital and a scientific infrastructure has a positive effect too. The findings suggest that foreign subsidiaries in East Germany are only partially linked with the regional innovation system. Policy implications are discussed.
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A strategy view on knowledge in the MNE – Integrating Subsidiary Roles and Knowledge Flows
Björn Jindra
East-West Journal of Economics and Business,
1 & 2
2005
Abstract
We assume knowledge inflows endogenous to subsidiary roles. Integrating organisational and knowledge-based views we propose a new subsidiary typology based on MNE integration-subsidiary capability. We hypothesise that both dimensions are positively associated with knowledge inflows into the focal subsidiary. This prediction is tested with data for 425 subsidiaries. The key findings were: (a) the extent for knowledge inflows differs significantly across all subsidiary roles; (c) it diminishes in a anti-clockwise direction starting in the high integration-high capability quadrant of the IC taxonomy; thus (b) both MNE integration and subsidiary capability drive knowledge inflows, although, the balance shifts more towards integration.
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Evaluationsbericht: Das Internet strategisch richtig nutzen
Albrecht Kauffmann, P. J. J. Welfens, M. Vogelsang
Diskussionsbeiträge des Europäischen Instituts für Internationale Wirtschaftsbeziehungen (EIIW), Universität Potsdam, Nr. 79,
No. 79,
2001
Abstract
Using the internet and internetbased services is now common among medium and large firms in Germany. However, for smaller firms (SMEs) the use of internet application is a new challenge to which they still have to respond – this is crucial for remaining competitive. The project Adapt2 “Using the Internet in an adaquate and strategic way“ looks into the effects of SMEs' basic steps towards the internet. We focus on adequacy of government promotion of SME activities – specifically firms from the sector producing machinery and equipment are analysed. The project was led by ZENIT GmbH, Mülheim a.d. Ruhr; the whole project also involved participation of the European Institute for International Economic Relations (EIIW). As part of a broader evaluation EIIW also conducted surveys – both focussing on firms involved in the project and in other firms from the same sector. It turned out that specific measures of support indeed were helpful for SMEs; obviously, there is additional need for further practical support and research.
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