Telecommunication, Information Technology and Media

Status: ended

Title
Competences, Organization of Innovative Process and Firms' Strategies in front of the Convergence of Telecommunication, Information Technology and Media

Assignment
Centro Studi San Salvador - Telecom Italia Spa

Coordinator
Franco Malerba

Keywords
convergence
telecommunication
competences

Research outline and main results
The research have aimed at analysing and discussing the general implications of telecommunication, information technology and media convergence on firms' strategies and competences. It has characterised the main problems arising from the convergence of telecommunication and software, identified competences and technological innovation of firms connected with the convergence process (with an appropriate data-set with R-S and patents data) and has drawn a qualitative picture of strategic and organisational changes occurred to the largest electronics firms.
The final report consisted of four parts and an Appendix. In the first part, a theoretic discussion dealt with firms' challenges arising from uncertain, complex and frequently changing environments and analysed the role of firms' competences and learning. Firms' strategic decisions regarding the need for change and organisational inertia were also discussed.
The second part focused upon the important process of convergence between telecommunication and software.
The third part applied patents-based indicators to examine innovation and firms' technological diversification activities in convergence-related technologies. The data examined, for the world-largest firms, their innovative dynamics in convergence classes, their technological diversification in electronic technologies and finally their R-D efforts.
The fourth part of the research considered the largest electronic firms' strategies and behaviour. Several European, American and Japanese firms operating on sectors of telecommunication, information technology, media and basic electronics were singled out.

Last updated June 12, 2009

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