Journal of International Business Studies (2005) 36, 89–103 & 2005 Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. All rights reserved 0047-2506 $30.00 www.jibs.net Technology sourcing through acquisitions: evidence from the US drug industry 1 Karen Ruckman Abstract There were a large number of US drug company takeovers in the 1990s by 1Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British both foreign and domestic acquirers. Observation of the absolute difference Columbia, Canada between target and acquirer R&D intensity suggests there is no difference between foreign and domestic technology-sourcing patterns. However, a firm- Correspondence: level estimation of the acquirers’ choice of targets reveals that foreign and Dr Karen Ruckman, Simon Fraser University, domestic acquirers differ with respect to the relationship between target and 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6. acquirer R&D intensity. Foreign acquirers with low R&D intensity choose Tel: þ 1 604 291 3708; targets with high R&D intensities, which suggests technology sourcing as a Fax: þ 1 604 291 4920; motivation. Domestic acquirers prefer targets with high R&D intensities the E-mail:
[email protected] higher their own R&D intensity, which suggests a synergy story. Journal of International Business Studies (2005) 36, 89–103. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400110 Keywords: acquisitions; technology transfer; research and development Introduction Acquisitions of companies in high-technology industries are a common and important method of gaining access to technology. Between 1993 and 1999, there were 93 acquisitions in the US drug industry (biotechnology1 and pharmaceutical industries com- bined), which had an average of 330 firms each year during the time period.