The outsourcing of innovation activities in suppy chains with high-intensity of research and development

Many companies have redefined own business model working with an extensive use of outsourcing strategies. This phenomenon has, increasingly, involved activities of the value chain with high-intensity of technology innovation (R&D activities) and industries with global and high technology supply chains. In accordance with this trend, the outsourcing is considered to be an important potential source of innovation because it permits to access to specialized technological capabilities of external organizations and sustain more effectively and efficiently - reducing development costs, shortening time to market, improving the flexibility, improving the quality of the innovation - the research and development activities for the new product development. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to analyze the outsourcing decisions relatively to the product innovation (R&D) activities. The theoretical framework of the study is the theory of transaction costs and the evolutionary theories based, in a broad sense, on resources, namely: Resource-based Theory, Competence- based Competitive Theory, Knowledge-based Theory, Dynamic Capability Theory. The theoretical arguments and conceptual framework of the paper are supported by empirical evidences related to aeronautic industry, whose supply chain is globally dispersed and characterized by an high-intensity of research and development activities which are based on a multiple streams of technologies. To understand the outsourcing relationships on innovation activities in the industry the argumentations are related to two business case – Boeing Company and Alenia Aeronautica - which, respectively, as OEM and prime contractor collaborate on the design and manufacturing of the most innovative large commercial aircraft, Boeing 787 Dreamliner.