Globalization of R&D, Accumulation of Knowledge and Network Innovation: the Evolution of the Firm's Boundaries

The creation and accumulation of knowledge are an increasingly collective phenomenon which goes beyond the borders of national economies forming networks that develop technological cooperation between firms. This strategy is the collection of significant amounts of S&T information that will eventually turn into innovations. In recent years, the term "open innovation" has become very popular, even if other formulas like "network innovation" or "collaborative innovation" have been also used for a long time. In this paper, we use an evolutionary approach to analyze the determinants of the globalization of MNCs' R&D. By associating the theories of international economics and innovation management, we will therefore develop a new methodological framework to better understand the globalization of innovation process by building on synergies between different actors (firms, institutions).