1 TECHNOLOGICAL STRATEGIES AND MARKE T SUCCE SS. EVIDENCE FROM THE AERO-ENGINE INDUSTRY * Andrea Bonaccorsi Full Professor bonaccorsi@ sssup.it Paola Giuri Assistant Professor giuri@ sssup.it Francesca Pierotti Junior Researcher pierotti@ sssup.it Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies Via Carducci, 40 56127, Pisa – Italy Phone: +39.050.883359, Fax: +39.050.883343 November 2001 Abstract The paper studies the relations between technological strategies and market success of firms, through an empirical analysis of the commercial aero-engine industry since 1948 to 1997 detailed at the level of competition among single firms’ products. It uses a multidimensional measure of technical progress through Data E nvelopment Analysis (DE A) for measuring technological performances of single products and firms and data on sales of each product over time for representing market success. The paper confirms the existence of heterogeneity of firms’ technological strategies and draws some main conclusions with respect to strategies of convergence and divergence from the technological frontier, first mover advantage and survival of inefficient products. * We gratefully acknowledge the precious suggestions from Prof. Attilio Salvetti, and from Dott. Cassaro and Ing. Dufour.