Title: Impact analysis of public policies supporting SMEs' technological innovation: an Italian case

Authors: Serena Novero

Addresses: Faculty of Law, Department of Jurisprudence and Economics, University of ''Piemonte Orientale, Amedeo Avogadro'', ''Alessandro Galante Garrone'', Ceris (Institute for Economic Research on Firms and Growth) – CNR (Centre of National Research), Via Monte Ortigara, 99, Torino 10141, Italy

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of public policies supporting firms| innovation and technological development. The final aim is to identify the factors that influence the effective success of these interventions. This research analyses 166 small-medium enterprises (SMEs), located in a high-tech region of the North–West of Italy, which received some public supports. The results show that public interventions have not homogeneous impacts on firms| performances, but they depend on the firms| age, size, industrial sector and, most of all, on their innovative level, as well as on the number, types, timing and extent of the projects realised. These results offer a first account on firms| reactions to public policies and provide an useful ground to policymakers| strategies to increase the regional economic growth.

Keywords: public policies; policy impact; SMEs; innovation support; technological innovation; public interventions; intervention management; small and medium-sized enterprises; Italy; high-tech regions; high technology; regional economic growth; regional development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTPM.2011.040300

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 2011 Vol.11 No.1, pp.34 - 56

Published online: 31 Mar 2015 *

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