ABSTRACT
There has recently been a very substantial increase in the number of research and development (R&D) laboratories run by Japanese Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) in Europe. This reflects the view that leading Japanese enterprises, like their key rivals from North America and Europe itself, recognize the importance of an international perspective on both the creation and use of technology as a major element of their global-competition strategies. Thus, changes in the ways in which MNEs have approached their worldwide competition over the past 30 years have implied a much greater commitment to the development of global perspectives on both the creation and implementation of technology. This has not only been reflected in a notable growth in the number of overseas R&D facilities set up by MNEs, but also in an increase in their scope in order to embrace much more ambitious roles.
