Konzentration und industrielle Organisation

Das Beispiel der Chemie- und Pharmaindustrie

Abstract

This article supports the thesis that branch-specific analyses of competition and concentration of capital are necessary to grasp the current processes of industrial restructuring. In particular, new forms of a network-like organization of production should be interpreted as a means to expand the economic power of a single capital beyond the boundaries of the firm. This is outlined in an analysis of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, starting with the period of fordism and ending with the concentration of capital in the so-called life-sciences. The diffusion of a new biotechnological paradigm in research and development and the impact of financial speculation are seen as important factors shaping the restructuring and aggravating the crises tendencies in this sector.