Do Science and Money Go Together? The Case of the French Biotech Industry

Developing technological applications, entering exploitation alliances, and choosing between a researchor service-focused strategic orientation are decisions that high-tech firms must manage concurrently. This paper explores systematically the contrasting effects of these strategic determinants on rent-generation and rent-appropriation using the entire population of French biotech firms (1994-2002). Findings indicate that science and money do not go unconditionally together – the direct relationship between rent-accruing resources (e.g., patents or articles) and rent appropriation varies depending on the type of resources and the strategic orientation. Moreover, the effects of strategic determinants differ for rent-generation vs. rent-appropriation: 1) technological application diversity undermines a firm’s capacity to appropriate rents – in particular for research-oriented firms; 2) exploitation alliances favor rent generation but hinder rent appropriation; 3) service-oriented firms exhibit significantly better performance than research-oriented firms. Such evidence challenges the emergence in the biotechnology industry of a ‘one-best’ strategic trajectory, as represented by research-intensive start-ups funded by private money engaged in publishing and patenting races.