ABSTRACT
In this paper we refer to ‘globalization’ in the sense of the increasing interdependence between internationally dispersed economic activities that has characterised the recent period. In particular, the globalized approach of multinational corporations (MNCs) to technology and innovation has raised fundamental questions about the effect of closer cross-border corporate integration on national technological competitiveness, and therefore the purpose and efficacy of traditional industrial and technology policies in the European context. This is especially relevant in an increasingly globalized market in which competitive pressures particularly focused on technology have increased in Europe and intensified between the European Union (EU), the United States (US) and Japan. Although there is some consensus on the importance of technology for economic growth, its generation, geographical location and diffusion is still insufficiently understood.
