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There are also other aims mentioned by the companies that joined R&D co-
operations. Creating new products and services, securing the own quality stan-
dard, improving the own knowledge and entering new markets are aims that
are being pursued also by other companies that are involved in R&D but do not
co-operate in this field.
5. Summary and Conclusions
The R&D co-operation has become a popular strategic instrument of innova-
tion management that is especially used by big and medium sized enterprises,
but meanwhile it is also established among small firms. R&D co-operations are
being formed in every German state in nearly the same extent; neither regional
entrance barriers nor regional clusters can be observed. Conjoint activities in
R&D take place between companies on every level in the production system. In
addition to that, universities and other scientific institutes are often included.
Through R&D co-operations companies take advantage of the specific know-
ledge of their partners and create synergies. This enables them to work in
fields where they would otherwise not have access to. This strategy has been
chosen not in order to substitute own R&D in favour of a conjoint work, but
rather to pool resources. Among a variety of aims these companies are typi-
cally trying to intensify their innovative capability and to create new products
and services. In general, companies that are involved in R&D co-operations
appear to be more innovative than others. This means that these partnerships
help the participants to improve their competitive position and to renew and
enlarge production skills.
The results of the empirical analyses indicate that experiences made in other
co-operations of a different kind along with a technological excellence enable
companies to form R&D co-operations. Besides that, the ability to join an R&D
co-operation relies on owing R&D facilities. Other determinants that have an
impact on the probability to join such partnerships can be noticed in branch
specific marks and in the way the company is managed.
The majority of those who are involved in R&D partnerships does acknowledge
the strategic advantage of R&D co-operations and sees the chance to preserve
and even improve their abilities for market performance. Most of them see a
key role in their strategy to stay competitive. The success that can be expected
by joining an R&D co-operation is in most cases already reflected in the ability