Building competences in the firm

Current opinion favours assessment of companies and their performances through their capabilities and core competences. This book provides the first detailed assessment of competence building in an international sample of firms engaged in the field of optoelectronics, an industry characterized by the fusion of previously distinct scientific fields, and with a central role to play in the development of industries such as communications and consumer electronics. The leading Japanese and European firms have preserved distinctive competences according to their technological and product-related backgrounds, but also moved into different products and markets. Dr. Miyazaki provides innovative techniques to assess corporate competences through the use of quantitative methods. Her approach can readily be used for the appraisal of technological competences in other fields.