Title: Entrepreneurship across the border: internationalisation of Dutch SMEs

Authors: Enno Masurel, Patricia Van Hemert, Petra De Groot

Addresses: Centre for Innovation and Corporate Sustainability, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands. ' Centre for Innovation and Corporate Sustainability, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands. ' Centre for Innovation and Corporate Sustainability, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands

Abstract: The Netherlands has been known as an international-oriented country for ages due to its open economy and outlook and not in the last place, because the country is for a large part surrounded by sea and waterways. A quarter of The Netherlands land area lies below sea level. The entrepreneurial spirit of the Dutch has been a major stimulus for the Dutch internationalisation process. It is not a surprise that Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in this context. Four types of internationalisation are dealt with here: export, import, foreign direct investment and cross-border cooperation. This paper ends with the prospects Dutch SMEs have in the field of international competition.

Keywords: small and medium-sized enterprises; Dutch SMEs; entrepreneurship; SME internationalisation; The Netherlands; exports; imports; foreign direct investment; FDI; cross-border cooperation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2009.024672

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2009 Vol.10 No.1, pp.20 - 37

Published online: 15 Apr 2009 *

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