Multinational companies and technological change: Basic traits and taxonomy of the behaviour of German industrial companies in Spain

Abstract

The aim of the present paper consists of providing empirical evidence for the debate on the role of multinational companies in the creation of technological capabilities within the new international competitive framework. The research carried out with more than 110 German industrial subsidiaries operating in Spain allows the authors to analyse a great variety of aspects of their technological behaviour. With the addition of the information coming from German parent companies, a taxonomy of the strategies followed by those firms has been developed.