The aims of this paper are to take a broader view of R&D from the perspective of patent materials rather than limiting it to the activities of the research department, to clarify the organization of the flows of technological information by the patent department that promoted R&D, and to depict the R&D and corporate growth of Fuji Electric in the 1920s and 1930s, which remains unclear.

The characteristics of Fuji Electric’s R&D and patent management were defined by the company’s objective to introduce Siemens-style electrical technology into the Japanese electrical market, which was dominated by American technology, and to domesticate that technology to gain a foothold in the market. Fuji Electric introduced about 3,400 patents from Siemens and invented about 1,100 patents in the interwar period. Comparing this figure to that of the Shibaura Engineering Works, Shibaura introduced about 2,100 patents from GE and invented about 1,500 patents, so Fuji Electric introduced technology on a larger scale than Shibaura’s case. In order to manufacture and sell Siemens-type electrical apparatuses while American technology was dominant, Fuji Electric had to introduce a comparatively large amount of technology and develop its own technology suitable for the Japanese market.

The organization of the flows of technical information by the patent department supported technology introduction, R&D, and the establishment of a market position. As part of the process of the applications of Siemens’s patents, the technological information accumulated in the patent department was disseminated to the design department and other related departments within the company. Through the editing and publication of the Fusi Denki Zihô (Fuji Electric Journal), technical information was supplied to the entire company and was shared with the market. This was the patent management established in Fuji Electric in the 1920s and 1930s and was the mechanism that supported the business development.

International joint ventures are a significant topic in business history of Asian countries. Throughout the post-WWII period, joint ventures between Japanese enterprises and local businesses started by Chinese immigrants have boosted the economic growth of Southeast Asian Countries. This study examines the development and continuity of international joint ventures through the historical case of Thai Lion, a joint venture between Sahapat, a core company of a Thai general consumer group, and Lion, a large Japanese toiletry company. This study focused on marketing of the joint venture since the 1950s, as it was a necessary business function for modern manufacturing enterprises. It revealed that the transfer of marketing resources such as thoughts, brands, and selling skills from Lion’s Japanese headquarters, was the key to developing the joint venture. Also, two local entrepreneurs, Thiam and Boonsithi Chokwatana, played key roles. They had a proactive attitude toward modern marketing, developed the local brand through entrepreneurial adaptation of a product, pricing, and promotion; and built a nationwide network of marketing channels. The harmony between Confucian values of local entrepreneurs and the commercial philosophy of Japanese managers formed the base of the mutual trust relationship. As a whole, processes of transfer, networking, and adaptation were necessary for the joint venture to shape its marketing capability and built a unique strength. It can be said that the marketing capability was established through combining the marketing philosophies and methods that local entrepreneurs independently introduced from developed countries, with their own strengths of a building local distribution network and understanding of local consumers. Essentially, the process of knowledge transfer in joint ventures differs from that in wholly-owned multinational subsidiaries with a strong commitment to the head office.