Title: Building capabilities for innovation in SMEs: a cross-country comparison of technology extension policies and programmes

Authors: Philip Shapira, Jan Youtie, Luciano Kay

Addresses: Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK; School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. ' Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0640, USA. ' School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0345, USA

Abstract: There has been a growth of policy attention in many advanced and developing countries to stimulating innovation at the enterprise and establishment level, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper examines technology extension policies and programmes for building capabilities for innovation in SMEs for a selected set of programmes and countries in the US, Japan, Germany, Canada, Spain, and Argentina. These programmes represent a range that offer best practice insights at the international level and/or which have particular relevance for new sets of countries seeking to implement such systems. The study shows technology extension programme designs and operations are influenced by the innovation systems in which they are embedded. Drawing on our comparison of international examples, implications are discussed for the formulation of national and regional policies for the development of technology extension and related innovation programmes targeted to SMEs.

Keywords: innovation capabilities; SME innovation; technology extension; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; cross-country comparison; policies; programmes; regional development; best practice; USA; United States; Japan; Germany; Canada; Spain; Argentina.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIRD.2011.040526

International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development, 2011 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.254 - 272

Published online: 29 Nov 2014 *

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