The project addresses the nature of corporate organizations, their competencesand capabilities and their learning patterns. The analysis is undertaken at differentlevels of observations - ranging from firm-level studies of the patterns oftechnological and organizational change all the way to broad cross-nationalcomparisons .Along with a wide set of empirical investigations, the projects explore the theoreticalimplications of a competence/capability based view of the firm.Finally, drawing from the observed relationships between competences and variousindicators of organizational performances, the project is able to suggest a few"diagnostic" consequences for the European economy together with some policyimplications.