Essays on Mergers and Acquisitions and Trade on Innovations

Abstract

The general themes of this dissertation are related to mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and technology transfers between firms. In the analysis of M&As I explore the factors which make the firm become either an acquirer or a target. Analysing the motives of M&As, I address the question as to whether technology transfers are involved in them. The regional aspects related to M&As are also examined. I believe that a geographical distance between an acquirer and a target firm plays a major role. I first consider only domestic M&As and the scope is then enlarged to cover cross-border M&As, too. After the motives of M&As have been analysed, attention is focused on the impacts of those transfers. I consider the employment impacts of M&As more closely, and I also consider M&A-type-specific differences in them. Finally, I focus on the framework in which firms trade on innovations. In this theoretical analysis I consider the industrial and the market structure which determines whether firms specialize to provide new knowledge either only in-house or out-house, or do both at the same time. In addition, within this framework the implications of the market structure and trade on innovations regarding the impacts of public R&D support are discussed.

• ISSN: 1236-7176
• ISBN: 978-952-209-071-3
• Press Release in Finnish
• Publication in PDF-format