Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides insight that challenges other theoretical and empirical studies about competition. It analyzes trends of competitiveness in the light of the more general megatrends of the twenty-first century. The first megatrend is the development in the direction of the knowledge-based economy and the information society, a second megatrend is globalization. A third megatrend will get more attention and increase in importance is culture as a driver of processes in the society – like production. The book focuses on taking advantage of entering the knowledge economy, developing competitiveness based on knowledge creation and dissemination. The more general arguments about technology/innovations and market/internationalization are also astonishingly parallel whether people look at huge steel structures or white meat production.