At present, several virtual initiatives claim to be acting according to the open source software (OSS) arena, which is often deemed a role model for open innovation. Against this background, this research focuses on a comparative case study of two non-profit project networks that attempt to operate in line with the OSS phenomenon: Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, and the development of an automobile, Open Source car. We show that many parallels to the OSS arena can be drawn in both cases. However, this analysis must be performed cautiously, as several factors limit the applicability of OSS principles to non-software-related arenas. We conclude with a discussion of implications for open innovation research and managerial practice.
China, as being the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) host country in the world and the leading developing country in terms of volume of FDI inflows, has been increasingly attracting international attention from companies and policy makers. As more and more German manufacturing companies move into China, the investment is becoming larger in size and of higher quality. In the meantime, issues of the motives and nature of German FDI in China and related technological activities are developed to a more important topic for both Chinese and overseas researchers. This paper aims at the analysis and explanation of FDI movement driven by German companies in China and the role of technology hereby. Our research includes a literature review, a database analysis and a mail survey on German firms investing in China. Different indicators suggest that the motives for German FDI are long-term based and are deeply market-oriented, which can be characterised through seeking new markets and enlarging market shares. Technology transfer is therefore mainly dedicated to production and managerial facilities.