Organisational capacity to absorb external R&D: industrial differences in assessing intellectual capital drivers

Being competitive entails continuously performing product and process innovations. The acquisition of externally generated R&D is therefore increasingly important. However, firms have different needs when performing this process. The paper presents 26 drivers of intellectual capital (IC) as crucial for the absorption of externally generated R&D. Additionally we identify divergences in a range of companies in management attitudes to the assessment of these IC factors. Our analysis is based on empirical research carried out in the northern Spanish Basque Country. The results support the development of instruments and strategies for the absorption of externally generated R&D.