ABSTRACT
Although the outward orientation of the Korean and Taiwanese economies in the past was confined to their export activities, during the last decade and a half they have emerged as important home countries of overseas investment. In this contribution, special attention is paid to their investment activities in Europe, about which very little is known. After a short theoretical discussion of their ‘deviant’ (Tate’) industrialization patterns, the investments of two Korean (consumer electronics) and two Taiwanese (computer) companies in Europe are examined in detail. Special attention is paid to their actual operations in the region, the motivations to invest and the problems faced in building up a strong position in this part of the industrialized world. It will be shown that the late industrialization nature of the Korean and Taiwanese economies has considerably influenced their internationalization patterns.
