R&D and knowledge: a theoretical assessment of the internationalisation strategies

We make a literature review on the process of internationalisation, and the process of Research and Development (R&D). Firm is considered as a repository of specific knowledge. Knowledge is a key resource that plays a vital role in long-term performance of the firm. In this context, the geographical dispersion of the firm brings important consequences: • The firm extends its structure to protect or replicate knowledge-based assets effectively. • The renewal of knowledge-based assets is a process conditioned by the optimisation procedure that takes into consideration the new structure of the firm. • The power hierarchy of the firm will be affected by the exercise of control over the knowledge. We conducted an intensive survey of the literature. Research and Development is a process by which firms might reconvert themselves and create richness, by cutting and leaving behind old techniques and products.