The impact of socio-economic inputs on rtd, innovativeness, and competitiveness of european and east asian smes: comparative analysis and policy suggestions for regional convergence

This paper presents state-of-the-art conceptual and empirical output of recent research work on the identification of the factors that determine the innovativeness and competitiveness of SMEs in Europe and East Asian countries. In the context of globalisation, new technology and learning-based production, and in the direction of the European regional convergence and social cohesion, our research obtained insights of the links between economic performance and socio-technological inputs. More specifically, on the basis of cross-national and cross-industry comparisons, the ways that regional/national innovation systems influence firm performance and growth are analysed.