Worldwide Knowledge?

Martina Fuchs is Professor at the Department of Economic and Social Geography, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Cologne, Germany.

’Putting the global proliferation of knowledge, interpretation, learning and expertise centre stage, this book offers novel and illuminative perspectives even to experts of globalisation. Some of the most intangible and elusive concomitants of internationalised production are exposed, which reveals how rising producers in the Southern periphery challenge the powers of maturing industries in the North.’ Martina Fromhold-Eisebith, RWTH Aachen University, Germany ’The rapid dispersion of production-related knowledge to places outside the core economies has become an important feature in the accelerating process of globalization. At the same time research and development activities by multinational companies are increasingly being located in previously peripheral regions. Martina Fuchs has produced a timely and insightful account of this fascinating process, accompanied by well-chosen, illustrative empirical examples from different parts of the world.’ Claes G. Alvstam, University of Gothenburg, Sweden ’With the persistent internationalization of business, what is happening to the knowledge necessary to manage and upgrade corporate operations? This book is a stimulating invitation to participate in drawing the complex, evolving map of corporate knowledge in the global economy. Martina Fuchs proposes a multidimensional account of knowledge and interpretation to suggest that its global dynamics eschew any simple North-South divisions and its creation and use are more entwined with local circumstances.’ Päivi Oinas, Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Finland

• Contents: Preface. Part I Introduction: Worldwide knowledge? Global firms, local labour and the region. Part II Knowledge: Conceptual Deliberations: Knowledge in the global economy; Scientific-technical knowledge and the knowledge-based society; Beyond scientific-technical knowledge; Beyond knowledge: the relevance of interpretation; Knowledge and interpretation in temporal dynamics: learning; Knowledge and interpretation in place and space; Interim conclusion. Part III Globalisation of Knowledge in R&D and Production - Empirical Insights: Studies on the globalisation of knowledge: methodological introduction; Empirical evidence for the 'star of knowledge and interpretation'; Globalisation of scientific-technical, R&D-related knowledge; Globalisation of production-related knowledge; Impacts on the North: globalisation of knowledge as a race to the bottom or industrial transition with new arrangements worldwide; Summary and discussion. References; Index.