International R&D alliances by firms: Origins and development

There has been a dramatic increase in all forms of international
cooperation in science, technology and innovation over the last three
decades. This chapter focuses on a specific subset of such cooperative
agreements: those that primarily (but not exclusively) involve firms
that seek some commercial benefit from the outputs of inter-firm
collaboration, known as strategic technology partnering (STP). Special
attention is given to clearly define the unique nature of these
collaborative agreements, as well as the reasons and theories behind
their growth. We focus on their international dimension, identifying
international STP trends, and how the cross-border aspect of these
alliances impinges on their formation and success. Finally, managerial
challenges and policy implications related to STP are also discussed.