Against the backdrop of globalisation with shifting patterns of foreign direct investment and a rise in global mobility, talent identification, development and deployment, along with the national and organisational systems and structures necessary for its effective engagement, management and retention have become a critical focus for academics and practitioners. Framing it as a critical capital question, this introductory paper summarily outlines core debates in this nascent literature. It then introduces the five papers that comprise the issue and highlights the contributions that they make to furthering aspects of the debate on talent and intellectual capital from a variety of perspectives.