International collaboration for technological change in the 21st century

Technological innovation is now widely acknowledged as a key element in a firm's success, but in the competitive global marketplace of the late twentieth century, the circumstances for technological innovation have changed, In this paper we consider the combined impact of two trends that have changed the character of innovative activities: globalization and sustainability. We note a shift from introspective and proprietary solutions to externally focused, 'open' collaborations, frequently with firms of much different culture. This paper uses a case study of Canadian and Korean firms to highlight some of the behavioural factors that affect technological collaboration between firms in such circumstances. The paper concludes with examples of measures organizations can take to prepare themselves for collaboration.