The Economics of Biotechnology
| Series: | |
| Publisher: | Edward Elgar |
| Subject: | Biotechnology--Economic aspects, Biotechnology industries |
| Authors: | Maureen D. McKelvey , Luigi Orsenigo |
| Pages: | 469 pages |
| Binding: | Hardcover |
| ISBN: | 9781843767763 |
| Call No: | HD 9999.B442 E26 2006 |
This book provides an invaluable introduction to the distinctive economic features of the biotechnology industry. Indeed, it is an introduction in more ways than one. To begin with, the 39 articles that make up the 2 volumes are the result of a thoughtful, judicious selection of the most influential contributions to the emergence and the maturation of this remarkable industry. At the same time, an introductory essay by the editors provides an indispensable reader's guide to the wide range of issues that have become especially salient along with the growth of the biotechnology industry: the costs and benefits of large vs. small firms; the benefits of vertical integration; the effectiveness of networks as a way of organizing the critical functions of R&D; the changing economics of the division of labor; the causes of geographical clustering; the relevance of the tacitness of knowledge; the impact of intellectual property rights, etc. The editors deserve to be congratulated for their endeavors in providing a book that should serve as an extremely useful research tool for a growing army of researchers. The book's usefulness is significantly enhanced by the fact that it draws upon a wide range of journals, many of which will not be readily accessible except at a very small number of the largest research universities. One can only admire the depth and the breadth of the research, on the part of the editors, that must have been involved in creating this invaluable research tool.'