The Source of Capital Goods Innovation: The Role of User Firms in Japan and Korea (Routledge Studies in Global Competition)

The results of the empirical investigation of Japan and Korea show that the user firms in both countries, represented by car makers, have involved themselves in the technical and entrepreneurial entry into machine tools along with making active investments. As a consequence, they made a considerable contribution to the innovation of machine tools, increasing their competitive advantage as well as the competence of their specialized suppliers.