Pei one, Da io; Pe ei a, Dina; Lei ão, João; Nezghoda, Olha
A icle
The ole o he agglome a ion economy and inno a ion ecosys em
in he p ocess o compe ency de elopmen and g ow h o small and
medium-sized en e p ises
Adminis a i e Sciences
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Sugges ed Ci a ion: Pei one, Da io; Pe ei a, Dina; Lei ão, João; Nezghoda, Olha (2024) : The ole o
he agglome a ion economy and inno a ion ecosys em in he p ocess o compe ency de elopmen
and g ow h o small and medium-sized en e p ises, Adminis a i e Sciences, ISSN 2076-3387, MDPI,
Basel, Vol. 14, Iss. 9, pp. 1-21,
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Ci a ion: Pei one, Da io, Dina Ba is a
Pe ei a, João Lei ão, and Olha
Nezghoda. 2024. The Role o he
Agglome a ion Economy and
Inno a ion Ecosys em in he P ocess
o Compe ency De elopmen and
G ow h o Small and Medium-Sized
En e p ises. Adminis a i e Sciences 14:
222. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/
admsci14090222
Recei ed: 11 Ap il 2024
Re ised: 16 July 2024
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Published: 14 Sep embe 2024
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adminis a i e
sciences
A icle
The Role o he Agglome a ion Economy and Inno a ion
Ecosys em in he P ocess o Compe ency De elopmen and
G ow h o Small and Medium-Sized En e p ises
Da io Pei one 1, Dina Ba is a Pe ei a 2, João Lei ão3and Olha Nezghoda 1,*
1Law Depa men , Uni e si àdi To ino, 10124 To ino, I aly; [email p o ec ed]
2Cen e o Managemen S udies o IST, Uni e si y o Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Po ugal; [email p o ec ed]
3Depa men o Managemen and Economics, NECE, Resea ch Cen e o Business Sciences, Uni e si y o
Bei a In e io , 6200-209 Co ilhã, Po ugal; [email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac : In ou pape , we examine he simul aneous impac o he agglome a ion economy (AE) and
he inno a ion ecosys em (IE) on he compe ency de elopmen o SMEs in he Piemon e egion in
h ee high- ech sec o s: ae ospace, mecha onics, and au omo i e. This s udy ocuses on he c i ical
challenge o SMEs: su i al and ma ke posi ion expansion amids apidly changing ex e nal en i-
onmen s. We used he capabili y app oach, which includes iden i ying and assessing a company’s
compe encies h ough he capabili y ma ix, as a ool o analyse a company’s compe i i eness in he
indus y based on s uc u al changes; we de e mined he key insigh s om manage ial p ac ices
o SMEs ha help o comp ehend he beha iou o high-pe o ming, sus ainable-pe o ming, and
low-pe o ming companies in he de elopmen o compe encies. The key inding is ha SMEs’
sus ainabili y in he con ex o s uc u al changes in he ex e nal en i onmen is p ima ily in luenced
by ac o s such as in es men in he de elopmen o company compe encies, indus ial coope a ion,
s a egic planning, c oss- e ilisa ion, and he impac o company age and size on he a ailabili y o
esou ces, along wi h he le el o in e na ionalisa ion. This s udy also iden i ies he main challenges
hese SMEs ace, pa icula ly he lack o highly skilled human esou ces o mee he sec o ’s speci ic
needs, as well as he di icul ies companies ace in adap ing o changes in consume beha iou and
o ecas ing u u e business s a egies. In addi ion, his s udy in oduces he AE and IE a iables as
s a egic ools o enable company ep esen a i es o imp o e hei de elopmen s a egies.
Keywo ds: agglome a ion economy; inno a ion ecosys em; capabili y ma ix; ae ospace; high- ech
sec o s; compe ency; sus ainable g ow h
1. In oduc ion
O e he pas wo decades, apidly changing en i onmen s ha e challenged small
and medium-sized en e p ises’ (SMEs) business models and led o a d as ic, apid c isis
managemen esponse (Ri e and Pede sen 2020). Acco ding o a su ey by he O ganisa-
ion o Economic Co-ope a ion and De elopmen (OECD), a ound 50% o SMEs epo ed
a dec ease in u no e due o he pandemic, wi h small businesses in he hospi ali y and
ou ism sec o s pa icula ly ha d hi (OECD 2021). Howe e , some SMEs ha e been able o
adap and ind new oppo uni ies in esponse o he challenges, wi h some shi ing hei
business models o o e online sales and deli e y se ices.
Based on he li e a u e e iew (Da 2019;Klein and Todesco 2021;Egge s 2020;Schep-
e s e al. 2021;Hu and Kee 2022;OECD 2023) de o ed o explo ing SMEs’ eac ions o
global challenges (including he economic down u n, in e na ional inancial c ises, poli ical
ins abili y, and, mos ecen ly, he COVID-19 pandemic and wa in Uk aine), we decided
o in es iga e he simul aneous e ec o he agglome a ion economy (AE) and inno a ion
ecosys em (IE) on business ac i i ies in he con ex o s uc u al changes.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/admsci14090222 h ps://www.mdpi.com/jou nal/admsci
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 2 o 21
To adap business p ocesses o he cu en ci cums ances in he ma ke in a esilien
manne , we de ined he AE and IE as essen ial cons i uen s o inno a i e de elopmen ,
p o iding oppo uni ies o knowledge spillo e s ha in luence he business g ow h o
SMEs and hei compe encies and capabili ies.
O e he las wen y yea s, in e es om esea che s in he impac o he AE and IE
on SMEs (Boschma and F enken 2011;Fe asso and Sz ando 2022;Zhou and Dai 2023) has
s eadily inc eased. Howe e , he e is s ill a gap in he academic li e a u e when i comes o
s udying he e ec o bo h he AE and IE on SMEs.
I is essen ial o ill his gap, as i can p o ide insigh s in o how SMEs can le e age bo h
he AE and IE o enhance hei compe i i eness and business g ow h. Focusing on a case
s udy (based on dynamic capabili y) o I alian SMEs (Piemon e egion) ha a e pu suing
a s a egy owa ds in e na ionalisa ion and in es men in inno a ion, we analyse which
managemen p ac ices a e mo e e ec i e and p ospe ous unde he in luence o he AE
and s uc u al changes.
In he case o companies wi h simila compe encies, why do some demons a e an
inc ease in hei compe i i eness, emain s able in he ace o change, and ind oppo uni ies
o g ow h and de elopmen in imes o c isis, while o he s a e cons ained? How can he
AE and inno a ion ecosys ems aid SMEs in de eloping hei compe encies and enhancing
hei inno a ion capabili ies?
The pu pose o ou esea ch is o ind esponses o hese esea ch ques ions using a
e y speci ic sample o I alian SMEs (Piemon e egion) and a comple ely o iginal ool as
a capabili y ma ix. We chose I aly o his s udy o wo easons: Fi s ly, he Piemon e
egion is one o he mos de eloped egions o I aly acco ding o economic ac o s; secondly,
Piemon e has an IE in which SMEs a e s ong ac o s, p edominan ly in high- ech p oduc ion
and in e na ional ac i i ies (OECD 2021).
This pape is o ganised in o h ee sec ions: Fi s ly, we begin wi h a e iew o he ele-
an li e a u e, and he heo e ical amewo k encompassing he AE, IE, and compe encies
a e hen desc ibed. Secondly, we examine he ans o ma ion o compe encies in building
dynamic capabili ies and aking compe i i e ad an age o he ecosys em.
Based on he case s udy and semi-s uc u ed in e iews (Appendix A) wi h TOP
manage s o I alian SMEs, we es ablish he signi ican e ec o he AE and IE on he business
de elopmen o SMEs, hei capabili ies, and hei ulne abili y o he challenging ex e nal
en i onmen . The e o e, using a capabili y app oach, we show how he compe encies o
I alian SMEs in he Piemon e egion in high- ech sec o s ha e changed o e he las i e
yea s in he ace o s uc u al changes.
This s udy p o ides aluable insigh s in o how SMEs can use he impac o he AE
and inno a ion ecosys ems o imp o e hei compe i i eness and con ibu e o he egion’s
economic g ow h.
2. Theo e ical F amewo k
Nowadays, he compe i i eness o a e i o y depends less on i s na u al esou ces and
mainly on businesses’ c ea i e, in e na ional en ep eneu ial o ien a ion and inno a i e
capaci y o exploi he a ailable po en ial o he maximum ex en . Knowledge-in ensi e
i ms, ne wo ks o knowledge spillo e s (Boschma and F enken 2011;Soe an o and Demi
2023), R&D ins i u ions (Bullinge e al. 2004;Capello and Nijkamp 2009;Amini Sedeh e al.
2022), and public policy (Smi h 2000;He nandez-de-Menendez e al. 2020) ha p omo e
inno a ion and en ep eneu ship a e c i ical de e minan s o egional compe i i eness.
Based on he li e a u e (Knigh and Ca usgil 2004;Pa ucco 2011;Qua a o and Usai
2017;Teece 2018;Qiu e al. 2022) on knowledge spillo e , building compe encies, and
dynamic capabili ies, he e ol ing companies’ capabili ies a e c i ical o long- e m success
and g ow h. Companies mus de elop dynamic capabili ies and a lea ning o ien a ion o
adap o changes in he ma ke , echnologies, and cus ome needs. Fo ha eason, he AE
and IE acili a e he companies’ compe encies, aid in he knowledge ans e p ocess, and
a ec he pe o mance o SMEs.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 3 o 21
The AE and IE a e wo concep s closely ela ed o each o he and play a signi ican
ole in shaping he economic and echnological landscape o egions and con ibu ing o
he inc ease in capabili ies and compe encies o companies.
Many s udies ha e al eady analysed he e ec s o he AE (Ma shall 1890;Beca ini e al.
2009;Ci e a and Maloney 2017;Aud e sch e al. 2019;Fu and Qian 2023) o IE ha os e
inno a ion and en ep eneu ship (Adne and Zemsky 2006;Fu and Qian 2023). Howe e ,
he e is a gap in examining he join e ec o he AE and inno a ion ecosys ems on SMEs.
One eason ha he AE and IE a e no always s udied oge he is ha hey ha e
his o ically been iewed as sepa a e phenomena. The AE was i s iden i ied in he la e 19 h
cen u y by Al ed Ma shall, who a gued ha he spa ial concen a ion o i ms could lead o
g ea e specialisa ion and e iciency (Ma shall 1920). Since hen, he AE has been ex ensi ely
s udied in economic geog aphy and u ban economics. Acco ding o Boschma and Wen ing
(2007), u banisa ion economies a e ex e nali ies a ailable o local i ms, i espec i e o
he indus y hey belong o. In compa ison, localisa ion economies a ise om a spa ial
clus e ing o economic ac i i ies in he same sec o o ela ed indus ies. When accoun ing
o he AE, geog aphy plays a key ole in explaining he spa ial e olu ion o indus ies.
Despi e hese his o ical and concep ual di e ences, he e is g owing ecogni ion ha
he AE and IEs a e closely ela ed and can ein o ce each o he o e ime. Feldman e al.
(2022) and Fu and Qian (2023) highligh ed ha IEs can bene i om AE by le e aging local
knowledge spillo e s, specialised labou ma ke s, and access o in as uc u e and se ices.
A he same ime, he AE can bene i om IEs by a ac ing and e aining inno a i e i ms
and en ep eneu s and by p omo ing echnological change and compe i i eness.
In ou s udy, we conside hese wo phenomena oge he , aiming o gain a mo e com-
p ehensi e unde s anding o he sus ainable g ow h p ocess and inno a i e de elopmen
o SMEs. Following he app oaches made by Boschma and F enken (2011), Isenbe g (2011),
and Au io and Thomas (2014), we explo e he way in which he AE and IE simul aneously
help SMEs de elop. This esea ch has shown ha he AE can imp o e SMEs’ access o
inance, human capi al, and echnology and enhance hei inno a ion capabili ies (Lenny
Koh e al. 2007;Camacho e al. 2018).
In he con ex o he e ec o he AE on SMEs, he a iables ha play a signi ican
ole can be ca ego ised as ollows: p oximi y o cus ome s, which p o ides supply chain
e iciencies (Lenny Koh e al. 2007), a ec s he clus e ing o i ms, and can lead o he de el-
opmen o specialised supplie ne wo ks (Gadde e al. 2010;Hickie and Hickie 2021), which
can imp o e he quali y and eliabili y o inpu s; labou ma ke pooling; in as uc u e and
public se ices can educe he cos s and isks o conduc ing business, as well as inc ease
connec i i y and access o ma ke s, knowledge spillo e s, and human capi al.
Simila ly, inno a ion ecosys ems ha e been ound o p omo e SMEs’ inno a ion
and g ow h by p o iding access o esou ces, ne wo ks, and knowledge (Tols ykh e al.
2020) (Figu e 1). Bouncken and K aus (2022) de e mined an eceden s and po en ial new
de elopmen s in he heo y o he business en e p ise’s o ganiza ional capabili ies. The
ole o manage s in he economic sys em is highligh ed and discussed wi hin he con ex o
economic and o ganisa ional esea ch. Sugges ions o u u e de elopmen s o dynamic
capabili y esea ch in ol e he employmen o e olu iona y and beha iou al heo ies in
business s a egy and economic pe o mance (Augie and Teece 2009) and compa ing
di e en ypes o ecosys ems.
Ou pape explo es he p ocess o building dynamic capabili ies in he IE a he
Piemon e le el by analysing he compe encies o he key ac o s in he egional ecosys em.
We de ine an IE as “collabo a i e a angemen s h ough which i ms combine hei o -
e ings in o a cohe en , cus ome - acing solu ion. Enabled by in o ma ion echnologies ha
ha e d as ically educed coo dina ion cos s, inno a ion ecosys ems ha e become a co e ele-
men in i ms’ g ow h s a egies in a wide ange o indus ies” (Adne and Zemsky 2006).
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 4 o 21
Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 o 22
Figu e 1. Compa ing he effec s o he AE and inno a ion ecosys ems acco ding o a iables (sou ce:
au ho s’ compila ion).
Ou pape explo es he p ocess o building dynamic capabili ies in he IE a he
Piemon e le el by analysing he compe encies o he key ac o s in he egional ecosys em.
We de ine an IE as “collabo a i e a angemen s h ough which i ms combine hei
offe ings in o a cohe en , cus ome - acing solu ion. Enabled by in o ma ion echnologies
ha ha e d as ically educed coo dina ion cos s, inno a ion ecosys ems ha e become a
co e elemen in i ms’ g ow h s a egies in a wide ange o indus ies” (Adne and Zemsky
2006).
Among he ac o s ha in luence he inno a ion capaci y o SMEs om he
pe spec i e o inno a ion, we de e mine in e nal ac o s (size, esou ces, skills, cul u e,
and leade ship); ex e nal ac o s (ma ke condi ions, egula o y en i onmen , a ailabili y
o unding and suppo p og ammes, and access o echnology and knowledge);
in e ac ions wi h key ac o s o he inno a ion ecosys em in a ce ain indus y (cus ome s,
supplie s, compe i o s, uni e si ies, esea ch ins i u ions, and go e nmen bodies); and
egional ac o s ( he s eng h o he local inno a ion ne wo ks and he le el o go e nmen
suppo ).
Figu e 1 p esen s he impac o common ac o s o he ex e nal and in e nal
en i onmen (p oximi y (1), scale economies (2), specialisa ion (3), knowledge spillo e s
(4), labou ma ke (5), in as uc u e (6), and dynamic capabili y (7)), aking in o
conside a ion he peculia i ies o he AE and IE on SMEs’ pe o mance.
Geog aphic p oximi y, acili a ed by he AE, allows i ms o clus e in speci ic
geog aphic loca ions. This clus e ing leads o a concen a ion o i ms ha can bene i om
close physical p oximi y.
Companies ope a ing wi hin he same inno a ion ecosys em (IE) do no necessa ily
need geog aphic p oximi y o achie e effec i e collabo a ion and coope a ion. An IE’s
Figu e 1. Compa ing he e ec s o he AE and inno a ion ecosys ems acco ding o a iables (sou ce:
au ho s’ compila ion).
Among he ac o s ha in luence he inno a ion capaci y o SMEs om he pe spec i e
o inno a ion, we de e mine in e nal ac o s (size, esou ces, skills, cul u e, and leade ship);
ex e nal ac o s (ma ke condi ions, egula o y en i onmen , a ailabili y o unding and
suppo p og ammes, and access o echnology and knowledge); in e ac ions wi h key
ac o s o he inno a ion ecosys em in a ce ain indus y (cus ome s, supplie s, compe i-
o s, uni e si ies, esea ch ins i u ions, and go e nmen bodies); and egional ac o s ( he
s eng h o he local inno a ion ne wo ks and he le el o go e nmen suppo ).
Figu e 1p esen s he impac o common ac o s o he ex e nal and in e nal en i on-
men (p oximi y (1), scale economies (2), specialisa ion (3), knowledge spillo e s (4), labou
ma ke (5), in as uc u e (6), and dynamic capabili y (7)), aking in o conside a ion he
peculia i ies o he AE and IE on SMEs’ pe o mance.
Geog aphic p oximi y, acili a ed by he AE, allows i ms o clus e in speci ic geo-
g aphic loca ions. This clus e ing leads o a concen a ion o i ms ha can bene i om
close physical p oximi y.
Companies ope a ing wi hin he same inno a ion ecosys em (IE) do no necessa ily
need geog aphic p oximi y o achie e e ec i e collabo a ion and coope a ion. An IE’s
de ining cha ac e is ic is he ne wo k o in e ac ions be ween di e en ac o s, including
i ms, esea ch ins i u ions, and go e nmen agencies, ha can anscend physical dis ances
(Au io e al. 2018;Nambisan e al. 2019).
The combined impac o geog aphical p oximi y in he AE and in IEs signi ican ly
enhances he pe o mance o i ms. This impac p o ides i ms wi h access o a ich pool
o knowledge, skills, and esou ces while educing ansac ion cos s and inc easing hei
inno a ion capaci y. The syne gies be ween he AE and IEs lead o inc eased e iciency,
adap abili y, and inno a ion capaci y.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 5 o 21
In e ms o specialisa ion, agglome a ion economies allow he c ea ion o a eas wi h
high concen a ions o specialised indus ies. Such economies acili a e he clus e ing
o i ms wi hin he same sec o , leading o bene i s such as specialised labou ma ke s,
supplie ne wo ks, and knowledge spillo e s (He as-Oli e e al. 2012). A he same ime,
inno a ion ecosys ems os e he de elopmen o new indus ies and niche ma ke s by s im-
ula ing collabo a ion be ween di e en ac o s, including businesses, esea ch ins i u ions,
and go e nmen agencies (Au io e al. 2018).
The AE and IEs can combine o p o ide SMEs wi h access o specialised esou ces,
pa icipa e in knowledge sha ing, and boos hei inno a ion capabili ies. They enable
companies o bene i om p oximi y o o he specialised en e p ises, con ibu ing o a
dynamic exchange o ideas and echnological ad ances (Balland e al. 2019).
Measu ed h ough he lens o economies o scale, he AE enables la ge companies o
bene i om cos sa ings by sha ing in as uc u e and esou ces. Being pa o he same
ecosys em ensu es ha companies, ega dless o size, ha e access o sha ed esou ces and
se ices. This esou ce sha ing leads o lowe p oduc ion cos s and enhanced compe i i e-
ness in he long un (Delgado e al. 2014).
Due o hei p oximi y, he AE inc eases collabo a ion be ween i ms and indi iduals,
leading o in a-indus y knowledge spillo e s. Knowledge spillo e s a e acili a ed by
he ocus o i ms in a pa icula geog aphical a ea, which p omo es equen knowledge
in e ac ion and ans e . Recen s udies ha e shown ha knowledge spillo e s a e i al in
d i ing inno a ion and economic g ow h (Kijek and Kijek 2019).
Knowledge spillo e s wi hin IEs a e cha ac e ised by collabo a ion and knowledge
sha ing be ween i ms and indi iduals wi hin he sys em. This en i onmen o coope a-
ion is essen ial o he di usion o new knowledge, ideas, and echnologies. Unde he
simul aneous in luence o IEs and he AE, SMEs gain access o new knowledge, ideas, and
echnologies, signi ican ly inc easing hei inno a ion capaci y (Au io e al. 2018).
Rega ding he labou ma ke , he AE con ibu es o accumula ing skilled labou in
one loca ion, c ea ing a pool o specialised wo ke s. This concen a ion bene i s companies,
as i acili a es he employmen o highly skilled employees and p omo es a compe i i e
labou ma ke (Delgado e al. 2014).
IEs, con e sely, a e he ga eway o g ow h and de elopmen . They a e cha ac e ised
by hei abili y o p o ide access o skilled labou and educa ional ins i u ions. Such
ecosys ems suppo con inuous skill de elopmen and educa ion, p o iding i ms access o
a well-educa ed and ained wo k o ce, he eby opening up he ma ke o skilled wo ke s.
Th ough he in luence o he AE and IEs, i ms gain access o skilled labou , inc easing
hei inno a ion capaci y and p oduc i i y. Such access is i al o sus aining a compe i i e
ad an age and es ablishing a cul u e o ongoing imp o emen and inno a ion.
In he AE, dynamic capabili ies (DCs) aim o inc ease i ms’ unc ional capabili ies.
This leads o ocusing on ope a ional and echnical capabili ies, allowing companies o
op imise hei p ocesses and imp o e e iciency. Fo nahl and Hassink (2017) highligh ed
ha companies in high-densi y indus ial clus e s bene i om sha ed esou ces and collab-
o a ion oppo uni ies, s eng hening hei ope a ional capabili ies.
In con as , he de elopmen o DCs wi hin IEs is based on assessing oppo uni ies
and cus ome needs ha exis ou side he company. This app oach emphasises he i m’s
esponsi eness o ma ke demands o inc ease alue and con inuously upda e i s p ocesses.
Fi ms in inno a ion ecosys ems h i e on in eg a ing ex e nal knowledge and adap ing o
ma ke changes, which is c i ical o main aining compe i i e ad an age (Au io e al. 2018).
The join impac o agglome a ion economies and inno a ion ecosys ems signi ican ly
in luences he de elopmen o i ms. This in luence is pa icula ly e iden in he de elop-
men o DCs, which os e g ow h in acqui ing new knowledge and compe encies. Thus,
i ms’ adap abili y and g ow h po en ial a e enhanced, enabling hem o espond e ec i ely
o c ises ela ed o s uc u al change and c ea e adap i e s a egies (Balland e al. 2019).
I is impo an o no e ha he AE and IEs ein o ce each o he ’s impac on SMEs’
pe o mance in local and o eign ma ke s.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 6 o 21
3. Ma e ials and Me hods
The da a collec ed om he li e a u e e iew, semi-s uc u ed in e iews o I alian
SMEs, and case s udy we e analysed using quali a i e and capabili y app oaches. The da a
we e o ganised and coded, and key poin s and pa e ns we e iden i ied. Then, he da a
we e syn hesised and agg ega ed o unde s and he dynamics o compe ency change in
high- ech sec o s (ae ospace, mecha onics, and au omo i e) a in e na ional SMEs in he
Piemon e egion.
We used a unique ool, he capabili y ma ix (CM), o analyse he dynamic capabili ies
o SMEs unde he impac o he AE and IE.
In he academic li e a u e (Augie and Teece 2009;Da 2019), he CM is discussed in
he con ex o dynamic capabili ies, which e e o a i m’s abili y o build, in eg a e, and
econ igu e i s esou ces in esponse o changing ma ke condi ions and cus ome demands.
We conside he CM as a ool used o analyse a company’s compe i i eness in he
indus y based on s uc u al changes. The CM is he amewo k ha can isually po ay
cha ac e is ics o i ms’ capabili ies and highligh a ela i ely o e looked ac o in he global
alue chain app oach: local i ms’ endogenous lea ning e o s in a a ie y o ela ionships
wi h lead i ms (Mendes e al. 2023). Howe e , we sugges using his ool in ano he
sub-con ex .
To se up ou s udy, we used he capabili y app oach, which includes iden i ying and
assessing a company’s compe encies h ough he CM and a capabili y audi . A capabili y
audi de e mines he compe encies c i ical o he company’s success and s eng hens hose
compe encies. To examine he dynamic capabili ies in he Piemon e egion, we s udied
he expe iences o 768 companies in h ee sec o s: ae ospace (325 companies), au omo i e
(95 companies), and mecha onics (348 companies). The i s sample o 768 companies
allowed us o o m he dynamics o changes in he compe encies o companies by indus y
and ca ego ise companies in o h ee a eas o compe ency de elopmen : low-pe o ming,
high-pe o ming, and sus ainable-pe o ming companies.
To cla i y he sampling me hodology, ou s udy was conduc ed o e he pas i e yea s,
ocusing on de eloping compe encies in high- ech indus ies. This led us o na ow down
ou sample om 768 o 66 companies ac oss h ee sec o s: mecha onics (24 companies),
ae ospace (21 companies), and au omo i e (21 companies). The inal sample demons a ed
dynamic changes in hei compe encies o i e yea s, and he ep esen a i es o ou
sample ag eed o pa icipa e in ou semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h a a ge o es ablish
cause-and-e ec ela ionships based on he esul s o de eloping compe encies.
We chose a quali a i e, induc i e esea ch design (Gioia e al. 2013). We conduc ed
semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h SMEs o c ea e a da abase o capabili y ma ices and
unde s and how s uc u al changes a ec hei pe o mance o e i e yea s.
We selec ed companies acco ding o se e al c i e ia: SMEs acco ding o EU Recom-
menda ion 2003/361/CE o 6 May 2003 (h p://su l.li/km dch (accessed on 30 Ap il 2023)),
in e na ionalisa ion ea u es, and inno a i e ac i i ies.
The sample’s SMEs a e based in Piemon e and ha e been wo king in one ecosys em
o he las i e yea s. The da a we e ob ained om in e iews ha ep esen companies’
compe encies and de e mine hei compe i i eness in he ma ke and hei business sec o s.
The e o e, conduc ing a diagnos ic using he companies’ capabili y ma ix could
help iden i y c i ical esou ces and compe encies, which could be used by SMEs o c ea e
compe i i e ad an ages.
Fo he agg ega ion p ocedu e, we di ided I alian SMEs o he Piemon e egion acco d-
ing o he de elopmen o hei compe encies in o h ee g oups: sus ainable-pe o ming
in ela ion o hei compe encies (companies wi h s able compe ency de elopmen ), high-
pe o ming (SMEs ha inc eased hei compe encies), and low-pe o ming (companies ha
dec eased hei compe encies o e he las i e yea s).
Fi s ly, we selec ed 66 companies wi h dynamic changes in compe encies o e i e
yea s in h ee sec o s o de e mine he ex en o hei compe ency ans o ma ion.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 7 o 21
Secondly, we de e mined he inc ease in companies’ compe encies o e he i e yea s
(2018 is he base o he calcula ion), which allowed us o es ima e he dynamics o compa-
nies’ compe i i eness g ow h om 2018 o 2022 compa ed wi h he base pe iod.
Thi dly, we de e mined he ex en o compe ency changes in sec o s o e he las
i e yea s and e alua ed he a e age g ow h a e in he compe i i eness o he sample
companies in he o e all sec o , p o iding insigh s in o he de elopmen o new se ices
and p oduc s in he indus y.
Fou hly, we calcula ed he g ow h a e o company compe encies o he sample in
each sec o . As a esul , we g ouped companies acco ding o he dynamics o de elopmen
o educ ion in compe encies in e ms o indus y pe o mance in he Piemon e egion.
Finally, we in e iewed ep esen a i es o companies ha we e mo e dynamic in
de eloping hei compe encies han hei compe i o s. We conduc ed semi-s uc u ed
in e iews wi h key execu i es o I alian SMEs o gain insigh s in o he companies’ dynamic
capabili ies and managemen p ac ices in he con ex o s uc u al changes. The in e iews
we e designed o be open-ended and lexible, allowing o ollow-up ques ions and u he
explo a ion o c ucial issues. They we e eco ded and ansc ibed o analysis.
The ques ionnai e was cha ac e ised by open-ended ques ions and was de eloped
di ec ly o he in e iew wi h he SMEs’ ep esen a i es o unde s and he p e equisi es
( easons) o de eloping o s agna ing he company’s compe encies.
The su ey ques ions we e g ouped acco ding o he ollowing c i e ia: he company’s
in e nal en i onmen ; cus ome beha iou and ma ke ; he inno a ion policy o SMEs; and
he impac o ex e nal ac o s (e.g., COVID-19, poli ical unce ain y, and he ene gy c isis).
The i s sec ion o he open-ended ques ions, “In e nal en i onmen o he company”,
was designed o unco e ci cums ances ha led o inc eased o dec eased compe encies,
changes in managemen policies and business p ocesses, and oppo uni ies o di e si ica-
ion in o o he business a eas. The ques ions in his sec ion allow us o p o ide de ailed
desc ip ions and na a i es abou in e nal changes, o e ing ich quali a i e da a ha can
e eal unde lying causes and speci ic examples o changes wi hin he company (Saunde s
e al. 2019). Ques ions in he second sec ion, ”Cus ome beha iou and ma ke ”, we e
designed o iden i y p oduc s o se ices in highe demand and changes in cus ome be-
ha iou o e he pas i e yea s. The “Inno a ion Policy o SMEs” sec ion in es iga es he
company’s inno a ion ac i i ies and inancial s a egies based on companies’ in es men
ac i i ies since COVID-19 and go e nmen p og ammes o compe ency de elopmen .
The ques ions om he las sec ion a e c ucial o unde s anding how ex e nal ac o s like
COVID-19 and poli ical unce ain y a ec SMEs, allowing esponden s o discuss speci ic
impac s and adap i e s a egies in de ail (Camoni a e al. 2022).
The case s udy u ilised a ious sou ces, including company documen s, inancial
epo s, and indus y epo s. The analysis was ocused on company cases, compe i-
i e en i onmen s, and dynamic capabili ies and iden i ied he ole o he AE and IE in
companies’ pe o mance.
4. Resul s and Discussion
The I alian egion o Piemon e is well known o i s indus ial achie emen s, espe-
cially in he ae ospace, mecha onics, and au omo i e sec o s. These indus ies a e key
o he egion’s economic de elopmen , inno a ion po en ial, and in e na ional compe i-
i eness. Piemon e’s ae ospace indus y is a keys one o he egion’s indus ial landscape,
con ibu ing signi ican ly o economic g ow h and echnological p og ess. (Giu co e al.
2019). Mecha onics combines mechanical, elec onics, and compu e science. The i al
ea u e o mecha onics is e sa ili y, which includes c oss-disciplina y inno a ion and
economic con ibu ion (Ma a azzo e al. 2021). The au omo i e indus y has his o ically
been he backbone o Piemon e’s indus ial base. I s impo ance emains signi ican o
se e al easons: Piemon e is home o majo au omobile manu ac u e s such as Fia , Lancia,
Be one, I eco, Ghia, and Cisi alia, which shaped he egion’s indus ial iden i y. The
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 8 o 21
au omo i e sec o con inues o be a signi ican employe and con ibu o o he economy,
d i ing egional GDP and c ea ing nume ous jobs (Volpa o 2011;Calab ese 2020).
4.1. Dynamic Capabili ies in Ae ospace
The AE p o ides di e en e olu iona y explana ions o he spa ial pa e n o an
indus y; he ae ospace sec o is no excep ion. Ae ospace is widely ep esen ed and ully
de eloped in he Piemon e egion. This egion hos s he la ges ae ospace clus e in Eu ope,
wi h o e 15,000 employees wo king o 400 di e en companies wi h an annual u no e
o a ound EUR 6.6 billion (Repo o Piemon e Ae ospace Clus e 2021). This is ha dly
su p ising conside ing ha he indus ial a ea su ounding Tu in hos s a ange o leading
playe s in he space and ae os uc u es segmen s. Vi al egional ac o s in he ae ospace
sec o a e Leona do Ai c a , A io Ae o, Collins Ae ospace, Thales Alenia Space, and
ALTEC (Piemon e Agency 2022).
Big companies play a c ucial ole in IEs, as hey ha e he inancial esou ces, in as-
uc u e, and expe ise o de elop and comme cialise new echnologies. The ae ospace
sec o equi es a b oad ange o echnical and en ep eneu ial compe encies o succeed. The
gene al echnical compe encies include a deep unde s anding o ae odynamics, ma e ials
science, a ionics, p opulsion, and sys ems enginee ing (Hadley and Wilson 2003).
Ou sample o ae ospace SMEs consis s o 21 companies ha ac i ely pa icipa e
in he economic de elopmen o Piemon e. Based on he compe ency app oach using
a capabili y ma ix o companies, we de e mined ha he ae ospace capabili ies ma ix
includes 51 echnical compe encies, 45% o which a e ound in ou sample o SMEs.
Acco ding o he analysis o he capabili y ma ices, we de e mined ha in he i s case
( he ae ospace sec o ), he numbe o SMEs’ compe encies inc eased o mos companies
(Figu e 2). Only h ee companies ou o 21 demons a ed a educ ion in hei compe encies.
Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 9 o 22
Figu e 2. The g ow h a e o compe encies in he ae ospace sec o o e i e yea s (2018-2022))
(sou ce: au ho s’ compila ion, based on da a om CEIP).
Piemon e possesses a comple e ae ospace supply chain compa ed wi h he o he
I alian ae ospace clus e s, wi h a mo e i al segmen specialisa ion. The collabo a ion
be ween IE pa icipan s de elops inno a i e applied echnologies in he ae ospace sec o ,
cen ed a ound digi alisa ion and sus ainabili y, co po a e es uc u ing, and he “Space
Economy” (Nijkamp 2021). The syne ge ic effec be ween IE pa icipan s leads o he
c ea ion o inno a ion and he de elopmen o SME compe encies (Figu e 3).
Figu e 3. Compe ency changes in he ae ospace sec o o he Piemon e egion (sou ce: au ho s’
compila ion based on da a om CEIP).
Commencing in 2019, he SMEs in ou s udy a gue ha , aking in o accoun cus ome
p e e ences, hey ha e ocused on gaining compe encies in ai c a sys ems, p opulsion
sys ems (especially accesso ies, sub-ASSY), space sys ems, g ound acili ies and g ound
suppo equipmen GSEs, modelling simula ion, machining (cu ing), and Non-
Des uc i e Tes ing (NDT).
Figu e 2. The g ow h a e o compe encies in he ae ospace sec o o e i e yea s (2018–2022) (sou ce:
au ho s’ compila ion, based on da a om CEIP).
Acco ding o he abo e-es ablished a iables (Figu e 1), he impac o he AE and IEs
on he ae ospace sec o is cha ac e ised by he ollowing esul s: The I alian egions ha e
a s ong ae ospace he i age and a comp ehensi e supply chain. Fo example, he I alian
Na ional Ae ospace Technology Clus e (CTNA) comp ises indus y dis ic s in 11 egions
o I aly and he Piedmon Ae ospace Clus e (DAP).
Piemon e possesses a comple e ae ospace supply chain compa ed wi h he o he I alian
ae ospace clus e s, wi h a mo e i al segmen specialisa ion. The collabo a ion be ween
IE pa icipan s de elops inno a i e applied echnologies in he ae ospace sec o , cen ed
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 15 o 21
egis e ed in I aly in 2021 compa ed o 537,071 uni s o FCA and PSA in 2020 (o 38.88% o
he ma ke ) (S ellan is 2021).
The egional au omo i e supply chain is cha ac e ised by high le els o inno a ion
ac i i y. As he esponden s no ed, as he demand o ehicle elec i ica ion inc eases, so
does he demand o p in ed ci cui boa ds, leading o he need o sea ch o ma e ials
and supplie s acco dingly. In luenced by inno a i e de elopmen s in ela ed indus ies,
cus ome s a e u ning o model/de elopmen se ices and in eg a ing digi al wins in o
he pla o m. This echnology enables companies o es and alida e a p oduc be o e i
e en appea s in he eal wo ld. By c ea ing a copy o he planned p oduc ion p ocess, he
digi al win allows enginee s o iden i y de ec s be o e he p oduc goes in o p oduc ion.
In he au omo i e indus y, in pa icula , when p ocesses a e ela i ely simila , i ms
end o ocus on inno a i e capabili ies o enhance p ocesses and o e unique p oduc
ea u es o cus ome s o di e en ia e hei p oduc s and e en ually achie e a compe i-
i e ad an age.
The elec i ica ion o he au omo i e indus y has inc eased cus ome demands, d i en
by he o ma ion o new ma ke equi emen s. In luenced by he IEs and AE, he big indus-
y playe s a e c ea ing a echnological push wi h ega d o he inno a i e de elopmen o
he indus y, leading o he ac ha SMEs a e also obliged o imp o e hei compe i i eness
h ough compe ency de elopmen .
Based on semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h SMEs in he au omo i e indus y, he h ee
in e iewees iden i ied ha hey in es ed in manu ac u ing, business expansion, R&D, and
knowledge and paid pa icula a en ion o indus ial pa ne ships o o e come he apid
changes in he ex e nal en i onmen .
Despi e he size o he company, some o he esponden s can expand hei business
h ough he acquisi ion o new companies. Fo ha eason, small companies in es in
business g ow h and gain new compe encies in o de o sa is y cus ome s’ needs.
The dynamics o SME compe encies in he au omo i e indus y suppo he s a emen
(Sla e e al. 2014) ha wi h a high le el o dynamic capabili ies, companies can ou pace
changes in he en i onmen and educe he isks associa ed wi h hese apidly occu ing
changes.
In he pas yea , wa and he closu e o some ma ke s ha e c ea ed long- e m p oblems.
S a egically, he company has begun o hink abou indus ial pa ne ships wi h la ge
g oups o be mo e esilien in he ma ke .
Howe e , esponden s iden i ied ha among he mos impo an ba ie s o inno-
a i e de elopmen and gaining new compe encies a e high cos s, he high cos o aw
ma e ials o new echnologies caused by changes in logis ics, and di icul ies in ela ions
wi h indus ial companies and hei supplie s. Added o his is an unce ain ex e nal en i-
onmen and uns able demand o inno a i e p oduc s and se ices, as well as a sho age
o skilled wo ke s.
4.4. Dynamic Capabili ies in C oss-Func ional Coope a ion in High-Tech Sec o s
In iew o he o iginali y o ou sample, which included SMEs in high- ech sec o s and
hei esponses du ing in e iews, we would like o pay pa icula a en ion o he impac
o he AE and IE on he de elopmen o mul i-indus y compe encies. Some esponden s
indica ed ha hey a e unning businesses in se e al sec o s simul aneously. Fo ha eason,
companies demons a e hei dynamic capabili y o es ablish new ways o collabo a ing
wi h complemen a y companies, supplie s, and cus ome s, c ea ing new compe encies (see
Figu e 9).
Figu e 9illus a es he dis ibu ion o companies in h ee indus ial sec o s: Ae ospace,
Au omo i e, and Mecha onics. The numbe s wi hin he sec o s indica e he o al numbe
o companies in each sec o ; speci ically, Ae ospace includes 325 companies, Au omo i e—
95 companies, and Mecha onics—348 companies. O e lapping a eas o ci cles ep esen
he numbe o companies ac i e in mo e han one sec o simul aneously. In e sec ions
wi h whi e ci cles show he numbe o companies ac i e in wo sec o s. 61 companies
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 16 o 21
ope a e simul aneously in he ae ospace and au omo i e sec o s, ano he 61 companies
in he ae ospace and mecha onics sec o s, and 62 companies in he au omo i e and
mecha onics sec o s.
Ae ospace, mecha onics, and au omo i e a e echnology- ela ed indus ies, and he
well-es ablished managemen o SMEs in hese sec o s helps make SMEs mo e success ul in
expanding hei c oss- unc ional coope a ion, de eloping hei compe encies, and inding
c ea i e solu ions o hese companies.
Adm. Sci. 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 16 o 22
Based on semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h SMEs in he au omo i e indus y, he h ee
in e iewees iden i ied ha hey in es ed in manu ac u ing, business expansion, R&D,
and knowledge and paid pa icula a en ion o indus ial pa ne ships o o e come he
apid changes in he ex e nal en i onmen .
Despi e he size o he company, some o he esponden s can expand hei business
h ough he acquisi ion o new companies. Fo ha eason, small companies in es in
business g ow h and gain new compe encies in o de o sa is y cus ome s’ needs.
The dynamics o SME compe encies in he au omo i e indus y suppo he
s a emen (Sla e e al. 2014) ha wi h a high le el o dynamic capabili ies, companies can
ou pace changes in he en i onmen and educe he isks associa ed wi h hese apidly
occu ing changes.
In he pas yea , wa and he closu e o some ma ke s ha e c ea ed long- e m
p oblems. S a egically, he company has begun o hink abou indus ial pa ne ships
wi h la ge g oups o be mo e esilien in he ma ke .
Howe e , esponden s iden i ied ha among he mos impo an ba ie s o
inno a i e de elopmen and gaining new compe encies a e high cos s, he high cos o
aw ma e ials o new echnologies caused by changes in logis ics, and difficul ies in
ela ions wi h indus ial companies and hei supplie s. Added o his is an unce ain
ex e nal en i onmen and uns able demand o inno a i e p oduc s and se ices, as well
as a sho age o skilled wo ke s.
4.4. Dynamic Capabili ies in C oss-Func ional Coope a ion in High-Tech Sec o s
In iew o he o iginali y o ou sample, which included SMEs in high- ech sec o s
and hei esponses du ing in e iews, we would like o pay pa icula a en ion o he
impac o he AE and IE on he de elopmen o mul i-indus y compe encies. Some
esponden s indica ed ha hey a e unning businesses in se e al sec o s simul aneously.
Fo ha eason, companies demons a e hei dynamic capabili y o es ablish new ways
o collabo a ing wi h complemen a y companies, supplie s, and cus ome s, c ea ing new
compe encies (see Figu e 9).
Figu e 9. The numbe o companies wi h mul isec o compe encies, 2022 (sou ce: au ho s’
compila ion based on da a om CEIP).
Figu e 9 illus a es he dis ibu ion o companies in h ee indus ial sec o s:
Ae ospace, Au omo i e, and Mecha onics. The numbe s wi hin he sec o s indica e he
o al numbe o companies in each sec o ; speci ically, Ae ospace includes 325 companies,
Au omo i e—95 companies, and Mecha onics—348 companies. O e lapping a eas o
ci cles ep esen he numbe o companies ac i e in mo e han one sec o simul aneously.
In e sec ions wi h whi e ci cles show he numbe o companies ac i e in wo sec o s. 61
Figu e 9. The numbe o companies wi h mul isec o compe encies, 2022 (sou ce: au ho s’ compila ion
based on da a om CEIP).
The capabili y ma ix analysis o 768 Piemon e companies illus a ed ha 37 companies
( he cen al yellow ci cle) a e ep esen ed in h ee sec o s simul aneously.
The ou come is ha SMEs a e ying o di e si y hei p oduc ion, dis ibu ing isks,
and he eby gaining mo e compe encies, which leads o inc easing compe i i eness in he
ma ke and sus ainable de elopmen o he company.
The au omo i e indus y has unde gone signi ican changes in he las 20 yea s,
leading o changes in he compe encies equi ed o be success ul in his ield. Some
undamen al changes include ad ancemen s in connec i i y and au onomous d i ing, an
inc eased ocus on elec i ica ion, and changes in consume p e e ences.
As explained by he in e iew esponden s, in compa ison wi h he ae onau ics indus-
y, he au omo i e indus y is much quicke a implemen ing new echnologies, pa icu-
la ly when hese a e able o cu cos s and educe ime- o-ma ke .
In luenced by he AE and IE on c oss- unc ional coope a ion in he egion’s high-
ech sec o s, he Piemon e Ae ospace Dis ic os e s a ne wo k o companies and e-
sea che s wo king on ad anced echnologies such as ad anced ma e ials, p opulsion
sys ems, and a ionics.
The Piemon e mecha onics clus e ocuses on de eloping new echnologies such as
au oma ion, obo ics, and ad anced senso s. The IE in Piemon e boos s inno a ion in
ae ospace, mecha onics, and au omo i e enginee ing.
The AE and IEs ha e a bene icial e ec on SMEs h ough oppo uni ies o business
g ow h and an inc ease in companies’ compe i i eness. Howe e , using he capabili y
app oach, i was ound ha due o s uc u al changes and challenges aced by SMEs, he
eac ions o companies in he high- ech sec o a e di e en .
In e ms o building compe encies, ae ospace and mecha onics a e hea ily elian on
highly skilled enginee s and echnicians. These sec o s equi e indi iduals wi h s ong
echnical skills in design, ma e ials science, elec onics, and compu e p og amming.
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 17 o 21
On he one hand, he AE and IE should p o ide highly skilled wo ke s, bu as i u ned
ou , esponden s iden i ied he a ailabili y o skilled wo ke s as one o he indus y’s
p oblems. On he o he hand, such a esul can be explained by he apidly changing
indus y due o he eme gence o new echnologies and he inno a i e de elopmen o
sec o s, leading o he ac ha educa ional ins i u ions do no ha e enough ime o p epa e
specialis s. In addi ion, he new challenges lead o companies collabo a ing and c ea ing
inno a i e p oduc s h ough eamwo k.
5. Conclusions
Based on he esul s o his s udy and he in e iews wi h SMEs, we d ew he ollowing
conclusions: o he ae ospace sec o as well as he mecha onics and au omo i e indus ies,
he geog aphical p oximi y o companies p o ides an oppo uni y o educe p oduc ion
cos s, acili a es he in ol emen o SMEs by la ge companies, he sha ing o esou ces, and
knowledge spillo e s.
Conside ing he de elopmen o SMEs in he Piemon e egion, i can be concluded
ha he AE and IEs, in syne gy, ha e di e en e ec s on he high- ech sec o s.
Taking in o accoun he managemen p ac ices and he esul s o he wo k o SMEs in
he ace o s uc u al changes, i was ound ha he easons o he esilience o companies
o apid changes in he ex e nal en i onmen a e he in es men in he de elopmen o he
company’s compe encies, indus ial coope a ion, he exis ence o a company de elopmen
s a egy, c oss- e ilisa ion, he age o he company, and company size, which a ec s SMEs’
esou ce a ailabili y, as well as in e na ionalisa ion.
Among he main p oblems was he lack o highly quali ied pe sonnel co esponding o
he indus y ma ke , which indica es he IE’s low e iciency in e ms o c ea ing an e ec i e
labou ma ke .
Some companies also ail o adequa ely assess changes in consume beha iou and
p edic u he business de elopmen .
The indings o he semi-s uc u ed in e iews demons a e how I alian SMEs e-
ac ed o s uc u al changes and challenges and how hei managemen p ac ices in luence
business esilience.
Based on ou esea ch ou comes, we p opose a iables o he AE and IE ha impac
SMEs; he ep esen a i es o companies can conside hese ac o s when de ising hei
de elopmen s a egies. Second, we used he capabili y ma ix o es ima e he company’s
dynamic capabili ies and compe i i eness.
Finally, we de e mined wha os e s SMEs’ g ow h and esilience in an unce ain
in e na ional ma ke . While hese a e aluable indings, hey a e limi ed by only including
Piemon e’s SMEs, which a e ep esen ed in only h ee sec o s: ae ospace, mecha onics,
and au omo i e.
Ano he limi a ion was ela ed o s a is ical and da a limi a ions. As we analysed he
de elopmen o compe encies o e i e yea s, i was complica ed o p o ide he same da a
o all companies in ou sample. This led o a na owing o he sample and he inabili y o
conduc a deepe s a is ical analysis due o he small sample.
Addi ionally, s a is ical limi a ions also in luenced he s udy’s design, which may ha e
led o an inconsis en in e p e a ion o he s udy esul s.
Fu he esea ch could be de o ed o he empi ical analysis o how dynamic capabili-
ies and compe encies a ec a company’s inancial pe o mance and in e na ionalisa ion
p ocess in SMEs.
Au ho Con ibu ions: Concep ualiza ion, D.P., D.B.P., J.L. and O.N.; Me hodology, D.P.; Fo mal
analysis, D.P. and O.N.; In es iga ion, D.P. and O.N.; W i ing—o iginal d a , D.P. and O.N.; W i ing—
e iew and edi ing, D.B.P. and J.L.; Visualiza ion, O.N. All au ho s ha e ead and ag eed o he
published e sion o he manusc ip .
Funding: The Po uguese Founda ion o Science and Technology (G an s and NECE- UIDB/04,630/
2020) p o ided inancial suppo o his s udy. Recipien o he g an : João Lei ão ([email p o ec ed]).
Adm. Sci. 2024,14, 222 18 o 21
Ins i u ional Re iew Boa d S a emen : No applicable.
In o med Consen S a emen : In o med consen was ob ained om all subjec s in ol ed in his s udy.
Da a A ailabili y S a emen : The da a a e a ailable om he co esponding au ho upon eques .
Con lic s o In e es : The au ho s decla e no con lic o in e es .
Appendix A. Ques ionnai e
Company name
Business sec o
Job posi ion o in e iewee
In e nal en i onmen
Wha main ci cums ances led o an inc ease/dec ease in compe encies ( he main ac i i ies and
hei cos s in %)?
Ha e you had any changes in managemen policy and business p ocesses?
Did you conside he oppo uni y o di e si y in o ano he business a ea (i yes →wha kind o
business)?
Cus ome beha iou and ma ke
Wha kinds o p oduc s o se ices a e in mo e demand among you clien s?
(The ask: o unde s and he co ela ion be ween compe encies and p ice o p oduc /se ice; he
numbe o compe encies is no p opo ional o e enue.)
How has cus ome beha iou changed o e he las i e yea s?
(Changes in consume beha iou conce ning he consump ion o you p oduc s/se ices.)
Inno a ion policy o SMEs
Ha e you in es ed in you business la ely o since COVID-19?
How much do in es men s g ow on a e age in you company?
Did you use g an s o o he go e nmen inancial p og ammes o he compe ency de elopmen
o you company?
Ex e nal in luences: COVID-19, poli ical unce ain y, and he ene gy c isis
How ha e challenges ( om he ex e nal en i onmen ) a ec ed you business (e.g., in e ms o
sales pe o mance, he amoun s o goods p oduced, and he se ices p o ided)?
Did you company plan signi ican s a egic changes o he con igu a ion and ope a ion o you
supply chains? →Desc ibe he s eps hey ook o sho e up hei supply chains
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