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Sustainable Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Disadvantaged Regions: Impact of Knowledge and Innovation

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Knowledge, Innovation and Sustainable Development in Organizations

Part of the book series: Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management ((ITKM))

Abstract

Knowledge and innovation are critical resources for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, there is lack of research on the influence of knowledge and innovation on SMEs’ sustainable development and how this can stimulate the growth and development of disadvantaged regions. In order to explore these phenomena, a qualitative approach was chosen, conducting six exploratory case studies in the Beira Interior Region in Portugal. It can be concluded that knowledge and innovation are indeed relevant for the growth and sustainability of SMEs and the regions in which they are embedded. The cases studied particularly underscore the importance of innovative SMEs as drivers of value and wealth creation for disadvantaged regions. Again, the outcomes also show that investing in knowledge and innovation is a means to ensure SMEs’ survival in disadvantaged regions. The implications of this study may also serve as benchmarking for SMEs or regions that pursue knowledge and innovation-based strategies in order to ensure sustainable regional development.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from FCT and FEDER/COMPETE through grant PEst-C/EGE/UI4007/2013.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Management and Economics Department, CEFAGE-UBI Research Center, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal

    Mário Franco

  2. Department of Business Administration, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Applied Sciences Jena, Jena, Germany

    Heiko Haase

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  1. Mário Franco
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  2. Heiko Haase
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mário Franco .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

    Marta Peris-Ortiz

  2. Management and Economics Department, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal

    João J. Ferreira

  3. Department of Management Control and Information Systems, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Jose M. Merigó Lindahl

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Franco, M., Haase, H. (2019). Sustainable Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Disadvantaged Regions: Impact of Knowledge and Innovation. In: Peris-Ortiz, M., Ferreira, J.J., Merigó Lindahl, J.M. (eds) Knowledge, Innovation and Sustainable Development in Organizations. Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74881-8_4

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