Multinationals on the move

An overview is given of the steps being taken by the major Europe-based multinational technology firms to prepare for the post-1992 environment and to take advantage of opportunities opening in eastern Europe. The largest companies had been slower than US and Japanese companies to expand globally, but the past five years have seen a spate of mergers, joint ventures, and sales of business units as most of the continent´s major players have become global operatives. Acquisitions have been made both on the continent and abroad, notably in the US. The aggressive pursuit of European opportunities by Japanese multinationals in the face of a potential US-European alliance is also examined.<>