ABSTRACT
Our EU case-studies have provided support for the hypothesis that the pattern of MNC networks for innovation conforms to an internal (within national boundaries) hierarchy of regional centres, as large firms appear extremely sensitive to the characteristics of regional systems. Furthermore, we have also shown that a geographical hierarchy of regional locations can also be established across national boundaries in the European area. In such a context, it becomes clear that if, for the MNC, the imperative to create global R&D networks has grown all the more pressing, the ability of regions to reap the best technological opportunities will be increasingly crucial to meet the challenges of the new characteristics of the interdependent geography of innovation.
