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.