Beyond dependent development? The unlikely emergence of an upgrading alliance in the case of InoBat in Slovakia

Journal article


Toplisek, A. 2024. Beyond dependent development? The unlikely emergence of an upgrading alliance in the case of InoBat in Slovakia. Studies in Comparative International Development . https://doi.org/10.1007/s12116-024-09440-4
AuthorsToplisek, A.
Abstract

Semi-peripheral economies are disproportionately reliant on foreign capital for innovation and upgrading into higher-value added economic activities. This characteristic of dependent development is coupled with unreliable government support for domestic businesses, resulting in fragmented state-business ties. How then did a local electrical vehicle (EV) battery startup InoBat manage to build an upgrading alliance in Slovakia and capitalise on the accelerating automotive shift to electromobility despite these barriers being present in the semi-peripheral economy of Slovakia? By developing a network-based analytical approach and using the unlikely case study of InoBat, this paper argues that developmental entrepreneurship, the mobilisation of private sector resources by venture capital or a large domestic firm, and support by private-public institutions were key determinants for the emergence of the InoBat upgrading alliance. The findings underline that local firms can also be the drivers of upgrading efforts even in the absence of consistent government support and heavy presence of large transnational corporations.

KeywordsInterfirm networks ; Upgrading alliance ; Dependent development ; East-Central Europe ; Slovakia ; Electromobility
Year2024
JournalStudies in Comparative International Development
PublisherSpringer
ISSN1936-6167
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s12116-024-09440-4
Web address (URL)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12116-024-09440-4
Accepted author manuscript
License
File Access Level
Open
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online28 Jun 2024
Publication process dates
Accepted13 Jun 2024
Deposited07 Aug 2024
Permalink -

https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/q71qq/beyond-dependent-development-the-unlikely-emergence-of-an-upgrading-alliance-in-the-case-of-inobat-in-slovakia

Download files


Accepted author manuscript
Blinded manuscript.docx
License: CC BY 4.0
File access level: Open


Publisher's version
s12116-024-09440-4.pdf
License: CC BY 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 6
    total views
  • 17
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 2
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Slovenia - Economy
Toplisek, A. 2024. Slovenia - Economy. in: Europa Publications (ed.) Central and South-Eastern Europe 2025 Abingdon, Oxfordshire Routledge.
Slovenia - Economy
Toplisek, A. 2023. Slovenia - Economy. in: Europa Publications (ed.) Central and South-Eastern Europe 2024 Abingdon, Oxfordshire Routledge.
The Impact of Western Sanctions on Global Supply Chains and the Green Transition: The Case of EV Battery Manufacturing in South Korea and the EU
Kirkham, K. and Toplisek, A. 2023. The Impact of Western Sanctions on Global Supply Chains and the Green Transition: The Case of EV Battery Manufacturing in South Korea and the EU. in: Kirkham, K. (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of the Political Economy of Sanctions Abingdon: Oxfordshire Routledge.
Slovenia - Economy
Toplisek, A. 2022. Slovenia - Economy. in: Europa Publications (ed.) Central and South-Eastern Europe 2023 London Routledge. pp. 1-4
Riding the Covid waves: authoritarian socio-economic responses of east central Europe’s anti-liberal governments
Bohle, D., Medve-Bálint, G., Šćepanović, V. and Toplisek, A. 2022. Riding the Covid waves: authoritarian socio-economic responses of east central Europe’s anti-liberal governments. East European Politics. pp. 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/21599165.2022.2122044
Path dependency and partisan interests: explaining COVID-19 social support programmes in East-Central Europe
Toplisek, A., Oellerich, N., Simons, J. P. and Eihmanis, E. 2022. Path dependency and partisan interests: explaining COVID-19 social support programmes in East-Central Europe. East European Politics. https://doi.org/10.1080/21599165.2022.2122046