Innovative activity in SMEs and rural economic development: some evidence from England

Article


North, D. and Smallbone, D. 2000. Innovative activity in SMEs and rural economic development: some evidence from England. European Planning Studies. 8 (1), pp. 87-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/096543100110947
TypeArticle
TitleInnovative activity in SMEs and rural economic development: some evidence from England
AuthorsNorth, D. and Smallbone, D.
Abstract

Recent writings on the factors influencing the competitiveness of regional and local economies have emphasized the importance of innovation in SMEs. This paper discusses the findings of a study of the innovation process in a sample of SMEs located in rural environments. Adopting a broad, evolutionary view of the innovation process, the study highlights important sectoral variations using a multidimensional index of innovation. The way in which innovation is achieved is found to be shaped by various aspects of the rural environment, but relatively few firms are constrained by their rural location. Nor does the lack of local networking opportunities appear to hold back innovation in the more active SMEs. In conclusion, the most innovative firms are shown to make an important contribution to rural economies in terms of external income generation and employment generation.

PublisherRoutledge
JournalEuropean Planning Studies
ISSN0965-4313
Publication dates
Print2000
Publication process dates
Deposited05 Feb 2010
Output statusPublished
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/096543100110947
LanguageEnglish
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