The coevolution of technological capabilities among Mutinational Enterprises (MNE'S) and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME'S) of Information Technology and Comunications (ITC)in innovation and technology networks

This paper examines the coevolution of technological capabilities among Multi National Companies (MNC's) and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) from the Information Technology and Communication (ITC) sector in innovation and technology networks using a longitudinal comparative case study from a couple of subsidiaries of MNC's and one SME from the IT sector, in the period of 2004 and 2012. The main findings were that the coevolution in both projects have occurred, but not without a strong asymmetry among them in terms of the speed and nature of the coevolution process of technological capabilities, what can be attributed to a major involvement of MNC's at the beginning of the projects. This demonstrates that if SME's, in general, wants to succeed in the building process and development of technological capabilities, they must work in the sense of filling this gap, either by the adoption of best practices in projects management or by the development of skills and autonomy of leadership from those firms.