Multinational Corporation Research and Development Investment in China

创新的全球化是一个对经济地理学和一般的经济社会科学至关重要的问题。对于发达国家研究与开发活动的全球化进行了大量的理论和实证研究，但对发展中国家国外研发活动的研究相对较少。跨国公司（MNCs）最近在发展中国家建立了一些研发设施。本科研项目的主要目的是研究外资研发投资的性质和范围，以及影响外资研发投资在中国的主要因素，中国正经历着从计划经济向市场经济的转变。本研究通过对在华外资研发机构的邮件调查、对部分企业及其在华研发机构中合适的科学和管理人员的个人访谈以及基于网络的研究，将探讨以下问题：(1)外资在华研发投资的程度如何？由于没有国外研发设施的目录，该项目将创建这样一个列表，其中包括有关其位置、母公司和工业部门等的信息。(2)跨国公司在中国建立研发设施的动机是什么？鉴于中国的市场潜力不断增长，科技发展相对落后，我们假设这种研发投资主要是需求驱动或政策驱动，而不是供给驱动。(3)在这些研发设施中，国外活动的性质是什么？预计这些研发设施主要从事技术转让或向当地市场提供服务，而不是为全球市场进行原始研究或开发。(4)外资研发机构在中国的位置？(5)他们为什么会在这里？将采用定量和定性两种方法来分析数据。该研究预计将显示出中国在跨国公司全球创新网络中日益重要的地位。这项研究还将阐明在选址考虑中供应和需求两方面因素的重要性；它将研究外国研发为母国和东道国提供的挑战和机遇。该项目将有助于更好地了解发展中国家如何通过跨国公司的研发投资融入全球创新网络。这将为跨国公司创新与研发组织的全球化研究提供一个更为全面的理论和实证框架。对外国在华研发活动的经济地理学研究将促进对全球和本地力量如何相互作用以及如何塑造地方、国家和全球创新格局的理解。这项研究还将为正在进行的关于全球、国家和地方力量在世界发展的新阶段，特别是在技术的跨规模生产中的作用的讨论提供新的线索。

The globalization of innovation is an issue of central importance to economic geography and to the economic and social sciences in general. Numerous theoretic and empirical studies have been conducted to investigate the globalization of research and development (R&D) activities in developed countries, but studies on foreign R&D activities in developing countries are relatively rare. Multi-national corporations (MNCs) recently have established a number of R&D facilities in developing countries. The primary objectives of this scientific research project are to examine the nature and scope of foreign-affiliated R&D investment and the major factors affecting their locations in China, which is undergoing a transition from a planned economy to market economy. Based on mail surveys of foreign R&D facilities in China, personal interviews of appropriate scientific and managerial personnel in a selected group of firms and their R&D facilities in China, and web-based research, this study will investigate the following questions: (1) What is the extent of foreign R&D investment in China? Because no directory of foreign R&D facilities exists, the project will create such a list to include information about their locations, parent company, and industrial sector, among others. (2) What are the motivations for MNCs to establish R&D facilities in China? It is hypothesized that such R&D investment is largely demand-driven or policy-driven instead of supply-push, given China's growing market potential and relative backwardness in science and technology development. (3) What is the nature of foreign activities in such R&D facilities? It is expected that such R&D facilities are primarily engaged in transferring technologies, or providing service to the local markets, instead of conducting original research or development for the global market. (4) Where are the foreign R&D facilities located in China? (5) Why are they located where they are? Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to analyze the data. The study is expected to show the increasing importance of China in the global innovation networks of MNCs. The study also will shed light on the importance of both supply- and demand-side factors in locational considerations; and it will examine the challenges and opportunities that foreign R&D offer for parent and host countries.This project will provide a better understanding of how developing countries are integrated into global innovation networks through the R&D investment of MNCs. It will lead to a more comprehensive theoretical and empirical framework for studies on the globalization of innovation and R&D organization in MNCs. The study of economic geography of foreign R&D activities in China will advance understanding of how global and local forces interact with each other and shape local, national, and global innovation landscapes. The studyalso will shed new light on the ongoing discussion regarding the roles of global, national, and local forces in the new stage of world development, particularly in the cross-scale production of technologies.