THE SPECIFIC OF SMES INNOVATING ACTIVITIES IN REGIONAL CONTEXT. STUDY CASE ROMANIAN’S DEVELOPMENT REGIONS

Abstract

Globalization and competitiveness have affected how businesses engage in innovation, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). According to the European Commission (2013), 99% of businesses in Europe are SMEs. SMEs worldwide are regarded as the lifeblood of economies. The importance of this research is justified by the predominance of SMEs that are most enterprises in Romania (90%). SMEs help create jobs and increase economic competitiveness, especially in times of crisis. This study aims at identifying the specificity of innovational activity in SMEs and the main barriers to carrying out these activities. It was developed also a case study for Romania’s Development Region 2 South East (SE).