Even for a proud R&D heavy company, M&A might be an efficient way of progressing faster, covering more R&D areas, and lower cost. I think the main challenge of integrating a company in R&D is the pride of the acquirer’s own R&D organization. The pride is good/important in a way but also can mean “not invented here” attitude. A way to tackle this challenge is to ensure there is clarity on what the acquired company organization is supposed to do vs. what the acquirer’s organization (keeping the teams separate); like a partner/supplier contract. Another way merge the teams and focus on culture bonding – however this takes time.
