This article attempts to provide an overview on different modalities being utilized by enterprises to acquire technology, compare the strengths and weaknesses of each modality. Any enterprise, especially productive/manufacturing enterprises, must use at least one technology to develop and maintain its competitive advantage. | JSTPM Vol 3, No 4, 2014 1 STUDIES OF STRATEGIES AND MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION BY ENTERPRISESA COMPARISON BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY SELF-MAKING AND BUYING MSc. Hoang Van Tuyen Institute for Science and Technology Policy and Strategy Studies Abstract: Any enterprise, especially productive/manufacturing enterprises, must use at least one technology to develop and maintain its competitive advantage. Technology used in enterprises was acquired through various different modalities. However, each enterprise has different decision in the selection of appropriate modality to acquire technology, whether to create technology at the enterprise by themselves 1 or receive it from outside or take combined action. This article attempts to provide an overview on different modalities being utilized by enterprises to acquire technology, compare the strengths and weaknesses of each modality. Keywords: Science and technology enterprise; Technology reception; Technology development. Code: 14110601 1. Introduction Any enterprise, especially productive/manufacturing enterprises, must use at least one technology to develop and maintain its competitive advantage. Normally, this issue is interpreted as the need to develop a better, more advanced technology. Most businesses recognize the fact that technological development is a risky and costly process. It is therefore worth to take careful consideration in choosing the modality to acquire technology, whether it should be developed in-house by the enterprise or it should be bought from outside just to ensure that the technology can maintain the competitive advantage of the enterprise. Enterprises can own technology by creating in-house within enterprises or from acquiring it from external sources. The issue is often called “self1 The author used the concept of "external acquisition" to refer to all the ways by which enterprises could get technology from outside sources (as opposed to the way that technology was created by enterprises at
