Global R&D Alliances in China: Collaborations With Universities and Research Institutes

A learning perspective was applied to examining when multinational corporations select universities rather than local firms as partners in international R&D alliances. Data were collected on 327 international R&D alliances established over the 1995-2001 period in China, an emerging economy where intellectual property rights protection is still far from adequate, over the 1995-2001 period. The effects of factors such as the international investor´s host country R&D experience and the venture´s research objectives on the selection of universities or research institutes as local partners for R&D alliances were analyzed. Analysis using logistic regression models suggests that the contribution of local universities and research institutes to such R&D collaborations is likely to be high when foreign investors have had abundant prior R&D experience in the host country and when the alliance has been established primarily for research rather than development purposes. The implications for theory, practice, and policymaking are discussed.