Abstract

This study explores how the need to sustain technological development in combination with penetration of Japanese industrial markets will not necessarily allow European firms to follow a predetermined and sequential pattern of internationalization. It also emphasizes the need to unravel the wider network of buyer-supplier relationships within Asian markets. The idea of contingent market entry and development strategies is proposed. It is framed by the general assumption that in most Japanese industrial markets specific and long-lasting links is the rule rather than the exception, and that careful assessment of these linkages can give new insights into European firms' growth opportunities in Japan.