Industrial Collaboration with Japan

Book excerpt: This study looks at the experiences of European and American companies that have collaborated with their Japanese competitors in the fields of computers, consumer electronics, automobiles and aero-engines, by forming joint ventures, designing products together and pursuing complementary marketing strategies. It examines why these companies have chosen to collaborate rather than compete; whether the Japanese companies have proved to be reliable partners; whether the non-Japanese have been left behind; and what the future of such collaboration may be. The book concludes by pointing to a growing interest among non-Japanese companies in investing and collaborating within Japan itself.