This article shows that companies increase the number of R&D collaborations over the entire life cycle of an industry. This is especially true for R&D collaborations with research-based organizations such as universities and public research institutions. The analysis is based on the example of the German photovoltaic industry.
Abstract: Industrial evolution prompts firms to enter into R&D collaborations to ensure competitiveness and substantial growth. This study expands the industry life cycle concept to include the extent and types of R&D collaborations. I analyze 6581 R&D collaborations by 60 manufacturers in the German photovoltaics (PV) industry from 1980 to 2016 using a negative binomial regression model. The results indicate that the number of R&D collaborations is higher in the post-shakeout than in the pre-shakeout period of an industry. While this is particularly true for science-based R&D collaborations with universities and public research organizations, market-based R&D collaborations evolve from predominantly competitors before an industry’s shakeout to suppliers and customers after a shakeout has occurred.
