The globalization of technological innovation: definition and evidence

The concept of globalization of innovation is the zip between two fundamental phenomena of modern economies: the increased international integration of economic activities and the raising importance of knowledge in economic processes. The paper singles out three different components of the globalization of innovation: (1) the international exploitation of nationally generated innovations; (2) the global generation of innovations by MNEs; and (3) global techno-scientific collaborations. Empirical evidence on these three categories is here presented, suggesting that the relevance of global forces in innovation is rapidly increasing, although at a different pace for each of the three ongoing processes.