This paper undertakes a brief evaluation of the trends in the internationalization of innovative
activities. We provide a taxonomy of R&D internationalization strategies, and discuss the main relevant theoretical and empirical issues, before discussing the centripetal and centrifugal forces underlying the nature and evolution of cross border innovation. We address the issue of
international technology partnering as a key strategy that is complementary to the
internationalisation of innovative activities through internal means, before raising important
policy dimensions and directions for future research that derive from these debates.
Key words: R&D internationalization, globalisation, multinationals, alliances, technology policy
JEL Codes: F23, O32