Title: SMEs and the internationalisation of R&D activities: knowledge transfer flows between firms

Authors: Maria Rosaria Marcone

Addresses: Department of Management and Industrial Organization, Faculty of Economics "G. Fuà", Università Politecnica delle Marche, p.le Martelli, n.8, Ancona 60121, Italy

Abstract: This study focuses on companies (SMEs) that belong to the industrial sectors of mechanics and electronics, and operate in dynamic international business markets. The objective of this work is to identify and evaluate the real and financial effects of innovation in enriching technological assets. Realisation and the availability of global knowledge sources have induced firms to re-think the configuration of activities that are based on knowledge, such as manufacturing and R&D. The paper also seeks to analyse the way in which knowledge transfer occurs between elements of the same company for a company that has production and research activities located in different foreign markets. We also evaluate the impact of knowledge flows that increase the efficiency of the innovative processes and produce more general positive economic effects.

Keywords: small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; SME innovative processes; innovation; international business markets; knowledge management; proximity relations; internationalisation; research and development; R&D activities: knowledge transfer; knowledge flows.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2012.045794

European Journal of International Management, 2012 Vol.6 No.2, pp.133 - 153

Published online: 22 Nov 2014 *

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