This seminar, The New Dynamics of Multinational Innovation: The Challenges and Opportunities Posed by China and India, organised by the Advanced Institute of Management Research (AIM) as part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) Festival of Social Science, offers managers and policy makers an opportunity to understand the challenges that these emerging economies offer.

A recent survey of multinational research and development found that 22 per cent of all new research and development centres to be developed between 2006 and 2009 will be located in China and 19 per cent in India. The figures for the US, Western Europe, and Japan are 19 per cent, 13 per cent and 5 per cent. It is clear that multinational firms are increasingly locating their innovation activities not so much in the triad nations of North America, Western Europe, and Japan but in the emerging economies.

This phenomenon raises a number of questions with profound consequences for governments and firms worldwide. It allows resources and markets to be tapped anywhere in the world. Yet locating innovation in foreign countries also raises significant challenges.

This event, with its line up of experts from business and academia offers a great opportunity to understand and discuss the challenges of doing innovation in China and India as well as the long-term economic consequences of these trends. There will be plenty of scope for discussion of the issues raised. The seminar will be followed by drinks and light refreshments and offer an opportunity for networking and further discussion. Attendance is free but places are limited.

The evening will be chaired by Professor Jaideep Prabhu, AIM Innovation Fellow and Director of Research, Tanaka Business School, Imperial College, London.

Priti Elahi, Director, R&D Business Projects, GSK.
Clive Harris, Distinguished Engineer, Chief Innovation Officer, GTS, IBM.
Omkar Joshi, Head of Innovation, Reuters.
Mehmood Khan, Global Leader of Innovation, Unilever.
David Tyfield, Research Associate, Demos.

The Festival of Social Science week celebrates some of the country’s leading social science research, giving an exciting opportunity to show everyone what the UK’s social scientists are doing and will demonstrate how their work makes a difference to all our lives.-Economic & Social Research Council