The article shows that in firms with high R&D concentration management involvement in R&D issues is high. That involvement shows that the management team has a crucial part in the role of R&D in these firms. It requires that the management develop the skills and intuition required to deal with R&D issues in addition to the internal routines in the firms. In low R&D concentration firms that requirement does not exist. The environment does not encourage the wasteful practice of developing unnecessary skills. However, when moving firms from the Low end of R&D concentration to the High end, in parallel to the development of the required internal routines, and the creation of the infrastructure, new skills have to be developed in the management team.

      Further, the article shows that firms with high R&D concentration involved in Collaborative research tend to copy management organs and routines from their structure to the consortia they form. This tendency presents another difficulty for firms with low R&D concentration when they come to join such consortia or programs.

      As this is only a preliminary research into these aspects as they are demonstrated in collaborative research consortia, the article ends with recommendations for future research.

      Keywords: R&D, research, statistics, concentration management, development