For instance, if I acquire a company in computers, I might be able to research a new type of targeting computer. One thing that can definitely be said for War Inc. is that it gives you full control over unit design. You start the game with three basic unit designs, and the rest is up to you. You may have as many as twenty different unit designs in the game at any given time. There are many, many different combinations possible, with different tradeoffs.
More armor means more weight, less speed.
You get the idea. Developing prototypes costs money, so you need to plan your unit designs carefully. While the design system in War Inc. is very flexible, you can't just plunk together any old design. Not at first, anyway. At the beginning of the game, you only have a few different kinds of hulls, weapons, armor, and other stuff available to you.