Directions for eliminating asymmetry in the international labor market in the context of Industry 4.0 and 5.0.

Abstract

The article investigates the innovative investment models employed by transnational corporations (TNCs) and their role in shaping long-term competitiveness within globalized markets. It proposes a comprehensive analytical framework that integrates internal mechanisms—corporate R&D centers, science-and-technology laboratories, accelerators, and incubators—with external instruments such as corporate venture capital (CVC), strategic partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The methodology rests on a comparative analysis of publicly available data from leading consulting firms (BCG, McKinsey) and on case studies of Samsung Electronics, Alphabet, Microsoft, Intel, BMW, and Pfizer/BioNTech. Results. A multi-criteria evaluation system is introduced, combining financial indicators (return on investment, R&D payback period) with market relevance, speed of commercialization, and strategic impact on the corporate ecosystem. The findings confirm the absence of a stable correlation between absolute R&D outlays and innovation performance. The advantages and risks of each model are systematized: internal R&D structures provide strategic control and intellectual property protection but require substantial capital outlays and entail extended payback cycles; corporate accelerators and CVC funds furnish rapid access to external ideas yet pose integration challenges and knowledge-leak risks; M&A transactions secure immediate acquisition of critical technologies but involve high costs and potential cultural incompatibilities. Conclusions. The practical contribution of the study lies in formulating recommendations for optimizing the innovation-investment portfolio of TNCs through the flexible combination of internal and external approaches, taking into account industry specifics, the technology life-cycle stage, and the intensity of global competition.