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In this paper, we empirically examine the impact of technological cooperation on firm performance. Drawing on previous literature on technological impact of cooperation and also studies that connect technological capabilities with the achievement of sustained competitive advantages, we argue that technological cooperation exerts a positive effect on product and/or process innovations. From this point, we establish that innovative results positively impact on firm performance. We also analyse the differential effect of three types of cooperation, namely vertical, institutional and horizontal cooperation. Our results point out that, while innovation results mediate the relationship between institutional cooperation and firm performance, vertical cooperation has both a direct and indirect effect—mediated by innovation results—on firm performance. Finally, horizontal cooperation exerts a negative effect on innovation results as well as on firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyze the influence of internal and hired R&D HR on innovation, focusing on the complementary effect between those sources of knowledge exploration. To achieve this goal, we conducted an empirical research among 1,237 Spanish industrial firms. The results show that although internal and hired R&D HR have a positive individual effect on innovation, when that effect is analyzed jointly, data shows a positive net effect on innovation from certain level of internal R&D personnel that allows absorb and integrate the new external knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]