R&D&I and firms’ internationalization: introduction to the special issue

Abstract

Over the last two decades, the ofshoring of manufactures has taken a back seat to that of services. Reasons behind the rise of service ofshoring are the liberalization of trade, economic and regulatory reforms, technological advances in communication and digitalization, and the new commercialization of certain goods. Nowadays, an important proportion of exchanges of knowledge-intensive services corresponds to the ofshoring of research, development and innovation (R&D&I) activities, which are decisive for the economic growth and development of countries. In this respect, the March 2005 OECD Forum on the Internationalization of R&D already recognized the internationalization of R&D as a crucial feature of globalization with a major impact on economic development and public policy.